Fuel theft up 24% on annual numbers

‍FUEL THEFT UP 24% ON ANNUAL NUMBERS, SAYS GLOBAL RETAIL CRIME INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM AUROR 

Fuel station theft drive-offs in New Zealand have increased by 24 percent from the previous year according to global retail crime intelligence platform, Auror. The data, released today, confirms that retail crime levels, including fuel station drive-off theft, are sky-rocketing, and the trend suggests it will continue to stay high at levels previously unseen. 

Global data for retail crime is trending in the same direction. Phil Thomson, Auror’s CEO, confirms New Zealand is seeing similar types of blatant and brazen crime that Auror is seeing in larger geographies like the US and Australia. 

Auror’s data shows nearly 9,000 drive-offs occurred in New Zealand’s three main centres, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, between January and April 2022 with Auckland bearing the brunt of that. Despite the three month fuel relief package from the government in March, Auckland has the most number of drive-offs and individual fuel retail sites within the region should expect to see an average of 14 drive-offs per month. The city has always had a higher drive-off component due to sheer population, says Thomson, but regions like Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton are also having a rough time with increasing drive-offs. The rest of the country is not immune to this issue.

“We usually see higher rates of fuel station drive-offs across the country around Christmas and the summer period, but it’s accepted it usually drops back down around the start of the new year. This year, all we’re seeing are the numbers trending higher, and in Auckland we’re not seeing signs of it stopping,” says Thomson.

“Higher costs of living are affecting retail crime and we’re certainly seeing that in the data, but we’re seeing fuel drive-offs rising faster than retail crime generally, which has increased by 12 percent over the same period.

Thomson confirms a rise in the number of stolen vehicles being seen at fuel sites as well as an increase in new people offending rather than the more well-known repeat offenders.

“The increase in stolen vehicles being used, combined with the 37 percent increase in new people offending across the country, suggests that our communities need to rally together to find a solution. We know Auror has a role to play in continuing to make New Zealand safer, and we’re continuing our efforts with police to do so. The pre-Budget announcement for increased police funding ensures they have the right resources to hand so we can continue to effectively partner with them.”

Auror is committed to working with fuel retailers in ANZ to ensure they feel supported and safe, and is looking to combat this rising problem head on - this will mean continuing to use the data to engage with wider stakeholders across this issue and see real traction in this space.

Auror is a crime intelligence software platform, with its Australian base located in Melbourne. The company also has offices in London, Denver, and Auckland. The Auror platform has over 85,000 retail users and 30,000+ law enforcement users globally (including New Zealand Police), working to prevent retail crime, a $150 billion problem annually.