Prepay now mandatory at all Alberta gas stations
New rules designed to protect service station and convenience store workers
Come Friday, you will have to prepay for your gas at every service station or convenience store in the province.
Five Alberta workers have been killed and three seriously injured in gas-and-dash incidents over the past four years.
Just this Monday, RCMP charged 27-year-old Mitchell Robert Sydlowski with second-degree murder in the gas-and-dash death of Thorsby fuel station owner Ki Yun Jo, 54.
The prepay requirement is just one of a raft of changes taking effect June 1 to protect workers. Convenience stores and gas stations will also be required to install timelock safes, have minimal amounts of cash on hand, limit overnight quantities of common theft items like tobacco and lottery tickets, and use video monitoring.
The new laws have the support of Alberta’s police chiefs.
Speaking with media Thursday, Edmonton deputy police chief Brian Simpson said escalating gas prices make the new legislation increasingly important for crime prevention and public safety.
“It’s very refreshing to see such a clear, logical and highly effective solution to a common crime — one that can easily be prevented and has all too often seen very tragic outcomes,” Simpson said.
Labour Minister Christina Gray said similar laws implemented in 2008 in B.C. have all but eliminated gas-and-dash incidents there.
“Although filling up may take a little bit of extra time, it can now save a life, and that’s a small sacrifice,” she said.
“Nobody deserves to lose a loved one because of a stolen tank of gas or another theft.”
Gray said the changes were made in consultation with industry groups, including small, independent business owners.