Whether you're going across town or driving through several states this holiday season, you'll need to gas up your car at some point. CrimeTracker 10 is getting your holiday ready as you hit the road to keep you and your family safe.
Since January, there have been 111 reports of gas station robberies in the city of Columbus. CrimeTracker 10 gathered this statistic by combining cases from the Columbus Division of Police and RAIDS Online, a crime mapping software used by many police agencies in central Ohio along with CrimeTracker 10.
“We tend to see different places that are targeted more than others,” says Sgt. Shaun Laird. “It’s usually up to a robber and what they find appealing.”
Laird says location can sometimes makes a difference, but the reason why most gas stations are robbed is based on convenience. Store security specialists tell CrimeTracker 10 the same: convenience can go both ways, for the customers and the robber.
Nearly a dozen of the 111 gas station robbery reports were victimized more than *three* times in in 2016. All of them were on major road with quick access to freeways:
- Circle K Gas Station @ 3749 Twin Creeks Drive
- Shell Gas Station @ 1500 Hilliard Rome Road
- Shell Gas Station @ 3480 Gender Road
- Speedway Gas Station @ 1505 Harrisburg Pike
- Speedway Gas Station @ 744 W. Fifth Avenue
- Speedway Gas Station @ 955 S. Galloway
- Turkey Hill Gas Station @ 1425 N. Cassady Avenue
- UDF @ 1043 W. Broad Street
- UDF @ 2660 Noe Bixby Road
- UDF @ 530 S. Hague Avenue
Sgt. Laird says convenience can also mean what’s easiest for the robber.
“It may be that it’s in a neighborhood, that it’s in an area where a large number of suspects live, an area that’s convenient,” he adds.
CrimeTracker 10’s analysis also broke down the times of day when most of the gas station robberies took place. After midnight fared the worst, with 71 of the 111 robberies taking place during the hours of 12 am to 6 am. The numbers dropped significantly over the next 12 hours, to just 14 cases reported between 6 am and 6 pm. However, the frequency of gas station robberies starts to rise after 6 pm, with 26 of the total number of cases reported in the hours between 6 pm and 12 am.
“Just be aware of your surroundings when you pull in,” advises Sgt. Laird when asked about the safety steps people should take before stepping out of their car to fill up their tank. “Look around the lot and see who else is around, and also look inside the business and see what’s going on.”
The second point can be critical since a robbery could be in progress when you pull in to a gas station.
“Many times, you might see someone standing there, robbing a store with a gun, that's happened a lot of times,” says Laird. “Try to be the best witness you can be.”
Laird suggests doing a complete survey of the gas station inside out. Pick the pump closest to the front door of the store. And make sure you are visible. If you can’t see through the windows of the store, the clerk most likely can’t see you either.