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Date: 01/12/06 Revision: 09/20/11 Reviewed: 05/07/25 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CHAD CHRONISTER , SHERIFF STANDARD OPERATING PROCED URE Number: GEN 580.00 Page: 1 of 2 SUBJECT: PREVENTION OF GASOLINE THEFTS I. PURPOSE: The purp ose of this standard operating procedure is to establish guidelines for the enforcement of Hillsborough County Ordina nce No. 05 -13 the Prevention of Gasoline Theft Ordinance . II. SCOPE: This procedure shall apply to all Hillsborough County Sheriff's Offi ce personnel. III. DISCUSSION: The Hillsbor ough County Sheriff's Office practices the philosophy of Intelligence L ed Policing (ILP) . Within that practice , law enforcement efforts are focus ed upon addressing crime which is committed by the m ost prolific offenders . Responding to and investigating t he drive off thefts of gasoline within Hillsborough County unnecessarily exp ends several hundred payroll hours of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office budget annually and detracts from the amount of time deputies have to be proactive in their enforcement efforts . A vast majority of the reported incidents of gasoline thefts have no investigative leads or remedies to effectively close out the initiated investigations and the incidents were preventa ble had the proprietors required their customers to prepay for the gasoline . The diligent enforcement of the Prevention of Gasoline Theft Ordinance will significantly reduce th e occurrence of gasoline thefts and the subsequent economic losses incurred by t he proprietors and reduce the burden on our organization while en hancing public safety by making deputies available for other service calls . IV. DEFINITIONS : A. As utilized in this standard operating procedure and the Prevention of Gasoline Theft Ordin ance, the following terms shall be defined and applied as follows: 1. Establishment – a service station, convenience store, grocery store, truck stop or other commercial enterprise providing retail gasoline sales to the public. 2. Gasoline – means gasolin e, gasohol, diesel fuel or any other liquid fuel dispensed f rom a pump as fuel for motor vehicles. 3. Prepay or Prepayment – means to make or tender, by cash or credit card, payment to the establishment prior to pumping gasoline into a motor vehicle or con tainer. V. PROCEDURES: A. Deputies shall familiarize themselves w ith the Prevention of Gasoline Theft Ordinance and apply the stated requirement s to calls for service for drive off thefts of gasoline. B. Syno psis of the Prevention of Gasoline Theft Ordi nance requirements: GEN 580.00 05/03/21 Page 2 of 2 1. Sign Requirement: Every “self servic e” gasoline pump shall display an easily readable sign advising the customer that prepayment is required. 2. Prepayment Requirement: Gasoline shall be dispensed from “self service” gasoline pumps only upon the establishment’s receipt of prepayment for the gasoline to be pumped. 3. Assistance to the Physically Disabled: Every establishment shall comply with the requirements Florida Statute 526.141(5)(a), in regard to rendering assistance to p hysicall y disabled customers. 4. Reporting of Drive Off Thefts of G asoline: Reports of drive off thefts of gasoline by any establishment, or the agent of any establishment, shall be made in person at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office , or one of its communit y stations. The person making the report shall bring with him/her all evidence (video, license plate number, etc.) relating to the theft. Additionally, the person making the report shall present a signed statement that the establishment will follo w throug h with prosecution if charges are filed. This section appli es only to thefts where the perpetrator has already left the scene and no force, or threat of force, was used in the commission of the offense . C. The Hillsb orough C ounty Sheriff's Office understands with some first-time offenses that the public may be better served by educating the violator. Based upon this philosophy the investigating deputy shall have the discretion of enforcing the ordinance with a warnin g. A cop y of the Prevention of Gasoline Theft Ordinance shall be de livered to the establishment when a warning is issued for violation of the provisions of the ordinance . D. Second time and subsequent violators shall be issued a Notice to Appear on the misdemeano r violation of Hillsborough County Ordinance No. 05 -13. Deputies shall assure that the violators receive a legible copy of the Notice to Appear page of the Criminal Report Affidavit with the appearance date, time, and location clearly visible. Disc retion m ay be used , with supervisory approval , in deciding not to file a criminal charge when extraordinary mitigating circumstances exist. Chad Chronister Sheriff Amends or Supersedes: SO0601.03