As the cost of fuel rises on Britain’s forecourts, the more petrol and products on sale at service stations become attractive targets for criminals.
So writes BOSS -The British Oil Security Syndicate.
Forecourt crime offences range from drive-offs (bilking – where people drive away without paying for their fuel) to theft, anti-social behaviour, assaults on staff, burglary and robbery. 2005 national industry statistics estimate annual losses from drive-off offences totalled £17m, so it’s a category worth taking seriously, particularly as apprehending people who carry out such offences often leads to further, more sophisticated and serious criminal activities being uncovered.
Robbery and theft are both crimes which present the potential for physical injury to service station staff and customers. As a result significant effort by the industry in partnership with police is being devoted to both these areas. BOSS is a trade organisation and forecourt crime campaigner dedicated to helping stamp out any criminal activities on service station premises. Formed in 1991 by the oil industry, it is steered and funded by the leading petroleum companies and supported by the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA), the Association of Payment Clearing Services (APACS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
Working with over 4,000 petrol retailers, BOSS established the Forecourt Watch initiative, with local agencies and police forces, as a means to help retailers to safeguard customers and staff, reducing crime and the fear of crime. Forecourt Watch encourages retailers to inform the police and their neighbouring forecourts of criminal activity so action can be taken before crimes are committed elsewhere. A number of forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service, Greater Manchester Police, Strathclyde Police, Bedfordshire Police, Hertfordshire Police and Warwickshire Police, have adopted the concepts of Forecourt Watch and introduced the use of time-saving ‘Self Reporting Packs’, whereby the retailer provides the details of the offence in a statement along with any video evidence.
Forecourt Watch schemes operate in more than 70 areas across the country and have led to a substantial reduction in forecourt crime, often seeing forecourt crime tumble by more than half and in some places by as much as 70 per cent. Following on from these successes, similar schemes are now springing up across the UK, with the long term goal of BOSS is to have a Forecourt Watch scheme operating in every police force area.
BOSS executive director Kevin Eastwood says: "BOSS has an active presence in many UK cities. There are a number of crime hotspots and forecourt crime is just one element which needs to be tackled. Reducing occurrences of crime at service stations contributes to our overall aim to rid these places of characters who think they are above the law, which in turn makes honest, law abiding citizens feel safer in and around their homes, as well as transforming some areas into more desirable places to live and work."
An example of what can be achieved by the Forecourt Watch scheme is a group of 12 service stations in the West Midlands Police area, co-ordinated through Stoney Stanton Road police station in Coventry. After coming on board with the scheme, the collective forecourt retailers saw crime reduced by 68pc during the first 12 months. Retailers took on board advice on a variety of subjects: minimisation of cash on site, encouraging the use of time delays to safes and capturing images within the outlet. Tips on credit card fraud, Chip and PIN and customer safety are also covered. It’s also worth noting that BOSS posters and leaflets displayed in outlets are a visual deterrent to criminals, showing that a site has carefully considered security and that staff will remain vigilant.
