As gas prices skyrocket, thieves are growing in number and creativity in Oconee County.

Law enforcement in Seneca and Walhalla, as well as the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department, are reporting increasing incidents of gas theft as oil prices surge to upwards of $140 per barrel. Reported crimes include run-offs at the pump and residential gas siphoning.

According to Police Chief Tim Chastain, Walhalla has seen a 25 percent increase in convenience store run-offs in recent months. Pump drive-offs in the town have increased to 3 or 4 per week and are focused on large stores with multiple pumps such as Bountyland Quick Stop and Head’s Superette, that are taking the brunt of the theft. Storeowners have been able to track down most of the suspects by the vehicle’s license plate. The penalty for those convicted is forfeiture of their driver’s license.

“If the stores would go to pre-pay that would alleviate the problem,” Chastain said. He has been speaking with storeowners encouraging them to switch over to prepay, but many owners don’t want to inconvenience their customers.

Major John Covington of the Seneca Police Department has not had an easy time tracking down the thieves using license plates. Covington said the town has been plagued with a surge in stolen plates, which people are using to throw off surveillance cameras, storeowners and police during run-offs from the pump.

“Police are left with very little,” Covington said. “The description of the person and the car from the store clerks is all we have to go on and that often leads nowhere.”

The Seneca Police Department is reporting between seven and 10 gas run-offs per week with a fairly even distribution among the stores.

Covington said he has also urged storeowners to convert to a pre-pay strategy. “Pay first policy and they could avoid 95 percent of this,” Covington said, “People can’t be trusted anymore.”

According to Covington, another growing problem is the increase of gas siphoning at people’s homes. These residential occurrences have happened at night, leaving police with little information.

According to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department, countywide gas theft is on the rise. The department has increased patrols at gas stations, especially at night.

The Sheriff’s Department said this is not only a problem in the Upstate of South Carolina, but gas related theft is on the rise throughout the United States. Sophisticated theft nationwide has included removing gas from underground convenience store tanks, theft of gas trucks and advanced removal of gas from personal and corporate vehicles.

Tim Morgan of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department said Pickens County has not seen a noticeable increase in gas related thefts. According to Morgan, many storeowners have already implemented the pre-pay policy.

Some tips on protecting personal gas investments during this time of escalating fuel prices include purchasing locking gas tanks, storing vehicles in garages, keeping gas containers locked up and parking cars in well-lit areas.