Crime Scene: the fuel pump

Crime Scene: the fuel pump. When motoring began at the start of the 20th century, fuel was only available from pharmacies. The first real “gas station” in the world is generally taken to be the pharmacy in Wiesloch, Germany, because Bertha Benz bought her light petrol called Ligroin there for her overland journey between Mannheim and Pforzheim. Later on, filling stations became supply centres, originally just with pumps where petrol and diesel fuel could be obtained, later also LPG, CNG or hydrogen. And today, over 15,000 stations in Germany have mutated into supermarkets, service stations, gastronomy outlets and meeting points that have also become a new field of operation for criminals. GIT SECURITY looks at the current security situation of filling stations, the risks for their operators, the staff and the customers and looks at practical security solutions.

The products on offer, from a fresh breakfast roll to fine motor oil, are attractive – unfortunately also for criminals. Shoplifters, swindlers and robbers have become the greatest security risk for operators of filling stations. As fuel has also become much more expensive, more and more customers ‚forget‘ to pay. Some EC-cards are stolen or have insufficient funds behind them. Counterfeit money is also easily brought into circulation at these apparently anonymous places.

The number of robberies has increased alarmingly because banks and building societies are much better protected and because many robbers wrongly think that there must be relatively high amounts of cash at filling stations. Such attacks are often ruthless and brutal – and the value of the booty is in no proportion to the seriousness of the crime or the potential penalty.

Criminality and the Security Situation

The police crime reports are similar and usually sound something like this: „At the filling station in Xtown early on Thursday morning around 2:30 a.m. an armed robbery took place. Three unknown attackers entered the filling station shop and called for money, threatening the filling station attendant. He was sprayed with pepper spray, threatened with a knife and forced to open the cash drawer. The men stole just a few hundred euros and fled on foot. The attendant was slightly wounded.

Images from the security camera will be made public. Please provide any relevant information you may have.“ In a few cases firearms are used too and there are ever more such attacks where the attendant is seriously wounded or even killed for just a few banknotes. This and other typical filling station crimes must be prevented through the application of a suitable security concept using technical, organisational and personnel measures.

To make an individual security analysis for each filling station, the location, environment, security technology, damage to date and the qualifications of the staff must be looked at closely. This realistic appraisal, carried out by security service providers, assessors and the local crime police advice centre, exposes the risks and the weak points, the deficiencies of the building, the technology and organisation.

When the most possible profit is to be obtained with the least possible staff responsible for the complete filling station, including the shop and car wash, security measures are often not considered.

Never without Video Surveillance

A modern video surveillance system belongs today at every filling station for preventative and repressive reasons. Numerous attacks at filling stations have been successfully monitored by video and many more prevented. It is highly recommended to equip filling stations with a number of visible video cameras – preferably digital – that run 24 hours a day. The recordings must usually be kept under lock and key for four weeks so that, apart from attacks, theft and fraud can be investigated.

It is essential for car registration plates and faces to be easily identifiable – even under sub-optimal weather and light conditions. The images from the pumps can display and record the corresponding value, and give this to the cash system (automatic recognition). In this way, every unpaid tankful can be quickly and easily associated with the customer.

In addition, it is sensible to install cameras in the self-service area, at the cash desk, at the night counter, in the car wash, at rear or side entrances to the building for deliveries and staff and in the open areas around the site. The camera system design should only be produced by recognised specialist companies who are right up-to-date on the latest security techniques.

Improve Security Technology

Apart from the essential technology for traffic safety, fire, explosion and environmental protection, there should also be concealed alarm-secured safes, break-in and attack alarms, communications technology and sufficient bright lighting of the whole area installed at every filling station.

When the filling station staff recognises a dangerous situation, they should be able to lock the entrance door by pressing a button at the cash desk. This is particularly recommended at night if vehicles or people wait beyond the reach of the lit area around the pumps. As well as having a night counter, it is also helpful to have intercoms at the pumps and at the car wash, access control for private access, at side doors and delivery entrances, and a separate communication system with a direct connection to an emergency service.

Filling station attacks usually only last between 30 and 40 seconds. The motivation of the robbers is the same almost everywhere: to grab as much money as possible in the shortest time. Filling stations should therefore be fitted with a drop-safe. The staff just throw the cash into a shaft leading to a safe contained below. This safe – also known as a deposit-safe - cannot be opened by the cash staff but only by the owner/ operator or other authorised person.

There should never be more than around €250–300 cash in the drawer. If this amount is exceeded, the money is deposited into the safe and only change retained. Having just a small amount of cash is a very effective way of protecting against attacks.

Weak Points: Organisation and Staff

From experience, students, untrained staff and temps who have not been sufficiently informed about all the possible faults, dangers or forms of filling station crime are often employed at filling stations. Some larger oil companies are now training their filling station tenants on the correct behaviour during robberies. The training of tenants and their staff also includes the observation of suspicious conditions. If a customer comes to the filling station three times in one day and only buys cigarettes, this could mean that he is checking out the location prior to a crime.

There are also ‚home-made‘ risks from ones own staff that include embezzlement, theft and fraud if they are not properly monitored and irregularly checked. How to deal with cash (payment procedures, safe-keeping and transport), counterfeit money and change fraud should be included in regular training sessions. The correct behaviour towards thieves and swindlers, information about the legalities of self-defense, how to report crime and file charges should also be mentioned. It can be very helpful after an attack or a spectacular break-in to offer a high reward for information.

In particular with robberies, it should be set at between 10 and 20 times the amount of money stolen. This often leads within a short time to the naming and arrest of suspects.

Private Security Services

For a long time, the services offered by security firms have also included the entire spectrum of filling station security; regular professional security advice (analysis and concept); surveillance by mobile units in cars or on motorbikes; irregular checks of the premises and the surrounding area at night; cash service and transport.

In addition they may offer the connection of an emergency phone to a specialist reporting centre and alarm response. These services are sensible where the turnover is high, such as at motorway filling stations or well visited shopping centres and car parks.

They significantly increase the chances of recognising and arresting potential criminals. Such security services are economically justified and sensible, in particular where there are a large number of filling stations in one controlled and monitored area.

Heiner Jerofsky
Criminal Councillor