Gas prices have not yet reached such a high point that Wyoming residents are resorting to theft, multiple police departments told Cowboy State Daily this week.
Of the four departments contacted across Wyoming, only one had seen a report of a gas theft, contrary to reports from major communities elsewhere in the country that the crime is becoming a problem.
Cheyenne Police Department spokeswoman Lt. Alex Farkas told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday that officers had seen one report of gasoline theft, which came through Sunday.
“A hole was drilled into a resident’s gas tank,” Farkas said. “This does not appear to be a widespread issue in the community.”
The Casper, Gillette and Rock Springs police departments all told Cowboy State Daily they had not seen any reports of gas thefts from either residents or local gas stations in recent weeks, even though gas prices have continued to rise across Wyoming and the nation.
According to AAA, Wyoming’s average gas price on Tuesday was $4.02, while the national average was $4.31.
According to GasBuddy, a website that compiles gas prices across states, the cheapest price for regular unleaded gasoline in Wyoming was $3.60 per gallon in Buffalo.
Both Jackson and Evanston had some of the highest gas prices, around $4.29.
While Wyoming has not yet been hit by gas thieves, other states and large cities are seeing an increase of fuel-related thefts.
A family-owned gas station in Houston, Texas, lost out on nearly $5,000 after a thieves stole more than 1,000 gallons of fuel last week, according to the Daily Mail.
In Fresno, California, someone stole 20 gallons of gas out of a parked truck in a neighborhood.
A town in Washington has seen an increase in gas thefts over the last six months, with gas being stolen by being siphoned out of tanks or being drained through holes drilled into fuel tanks.
