Editorial: Somebody is drilling holes in gas tanks to steal fuel in Bonnyville

My Monday started with some arsehole drilling the gas tank in my news truck to steal the gas out of my tank.

On March 28, I awoke in the a.m. to see a set of tire tracks leading to my truck in the freshly fallen snow. I quickly said to myself, there are no valuables in my truck, I hope somebody didn’t smash my window to rummage through an empty truck. But the value to the crooked crook wasn’t inside the cab of my truck, it was waiting in the gas tank here in Bonnyville. Well, at least he/she thought it was.

News flash to the crooks, my truck had the gas light on and an empty tank. Suckers. No free gas for you.

But here is the real funny part, what you didn’t realize Mr./Mrs. Criminal is there is a prominent business next to where I park and they have surveillance cameras. Your free ride on other people’s pockets will soon come to an end. If you were trying to be covert and keep this crime unnoticed, you epically failed.

At first, I didn’t notice anything was wrong, with your covert crime. But I quickly knew something was not right when the inside of my truck reeked of gas. I backed up out of my parking spot to find plastic spirals from a drill and a little bit of gas on the ground. Remember my tank was empty, therefore not much spilled out on the ground.

I understand with gas prices soaring and some people feeling financial constraints, it is a possibility that this type of theft may become more common in Bonnyville. Has this happened to anyone in Bonnyville in the last two months? I’m sure, I am not the only one in Bonnyville who has experienced this huge inconvenience.

Being a news reporter, people disappoint me every day, I guess I’m not really that surprised, to be honest. If gas prices keep going up, I can only imagine it’s only going to get worse. Unless we work together to stop this senseless act of theft and property damage. Therefore, keep an eye out for your neighbour’s property. If you think something is not right, and suspicious call the police.

I know the criminals who drilled my tank are not that smart. If you were, you wouldn’t be stealing gas from the news reporter’s truck and damaging people’s property you lowlife. Here is an idea, go to work like the rest of us to purchase things, so you don’t have to steal them and if you want a crime to go unnoticed don’t target the person who reports the crime in the Lakeland.

Whoever is responsible for this theft is not just stealing gas, but creating a whole string of expenses far greater than the price of the fuel they’re making off with. A new gas tank is expensive.

Just a heads up to the crooks if you’re reading this, it is a method of theft that police and fire officials warn can be dangerous and potentially deadly. The little bit of gas you’re stealing could cost you your life. Is it really worth it?

You are using a power tool that can ignite some heat and sparks, gas being such a volatile liquid, it could actually cause a fire, explosion, very serious injury, or worst-case scenario, death.

It’s very dangerous to drill into a gas tank. When they’re being serviced, they have to be cleaned and rinsed to remove any vapours for the risk of flash fire and explosion.

If you continue down this path Mr./Mrs. Crook, you will eventually get burnt.