Retailers question Police Scotland reporting process
RETAILERS have slammed a lack of clarity from Police Scotland over reporting cases of drive-offs from forecourt locations.
This comes after a recent experience at the Premier RaceTrack Pitstop Braeside Services, Chryston, near Glasgow, where manager Derek Paton faced challenges in reporting a driver who left the station without paying for fuel.
Derek said he saw a customer who filled up their car with fuel, made use of the store’s cash machine on the forecourt and drove off from the location without making any attempt to pay. Following this, Derek made a report to Police Scotland about the incident on Monday 23 May.
According to Shamly Sud, managing director at GHSL – the firm behind the RaceTrack Pitstop brand, Derek was asked during the report whether or not the drive-off was intentional. The manager responded honestly and said that it may have been a mistake on the part of the customer.
Shamly said he was then told: “If it’s not intentional, then it’s not a criminal offence – there’s nothing more we can do.”
This has caused a number of questions from the RaceTrack team and they felt as if they have been left to absorb these costs and shoulder the burden.
Shamly said: “Two years ago, Police Scotland stated clearly that all drive-offs would be treated as criminal – intentional or not.
“It is so disappointing to hear this from Police Scotland. Furthermore, to add fuel to this, my admin team chased Police Scotland on drive-offs that haven’t been paid and were told that if a customer has unintentionally not paid for fuel four or five times, only then will it be treated as a crime.”
Police Scotland has told Scottish Grocer that the Braeside Services drive-off has now been recorded and that “enquiries are ongoing.”
Additionally, Police Scotland also noted that: “If a person driving off without paying for fuel appears to be accidental, callers will be given advice on how to pursue civil recovery.”
Derek said that Police Scotland followed up with him to clarify that the incident is now being considered as intentional and it was suggested that whether or not a drive-off is recorded as a crime can depend on how the initial report is handled and who takes the call.
Shamly has said this approach and lack of consistency from Police Scotland on this occasion is “concerning” and has only added further confusion over what retailers are meant to do with these situations moving forward.
She said: “The officer also commented that the police are keen to save time and would like staff to be more ‘assertive’. However, it is unclear what this means in practice. Are staff expected to leave the premises and pursue vehicles? This raises serious concerns regarding staff safety and health and safety obligations.
“Our staff already follow strict procedures. They check for suspicious behaviour before authorising fuel, and at some sites we have invested in systems linked to the DVLA to help identify false number plates. However, no system can predict whether a customer intends to leave without paying.
“At Braeside Services, while we do not have the DVLA-linked system, staff are trained to remain vigilant and to question customers appropriately, including confirming fuel purchases at the till.
“Given these measures, it is difficult to understand what more is reasonably expected of retailers in these situations. These are already extremely challenging times for retailers, and incidents like this only add further pressure.”
