BOSS, the British Oil Security Syndicate, launched a number of new partnership i ...

BOSS, the British Oil Security Syndicate, launched a number of new partnership initiatives with police around the UK during November 2011 to bolster the fight against forecourt crime. BOSS estimates that overall forecourt crime throughout the UK, excluding credit card fraud, cost the fuel retailing industry more than £19mn in 2010. In the Strathclyde Police area, a pioneering project is helping fuel retailers in rural communities to tackle crime on their forecourts. BOSS is building on a successful existing partnership with Strathclyde Police to develop closer ties between police and out-of-town fuel retailers around Dunoon, Cowal and Oban. The rural scheme was introduced alongside new Forecourt Watches covering urban service stations in the Clydebank and Dumbarton areas. In the West Midlands, a new Forecourt Watch scheme was rolled out across the entire West Midlands Police force area as part of Operation Kadence, which aims to drive down fuel and number plate theft following successful trials in Birmingham and Sandwell. Chief Inspector Andy Beard, leading the operation, said: ‘Initial results show that since the operation’s launch bilkings [driving off without payment] have reduced by 37% in the targeted areas, whilst number plate thefts have also come down by 25%.’ In West Yorkshire, a new Forecourt Watch scheme was launched in the Wakefield district to stem a growth in crime at fuel stations. Kevin Eastwood, BOSS Executive Director, commented: ‘Service stations are a vital community resource and we’re committed to ensuring they’re a safe environment for customers and staff, targeting those people who drive off without paying for their fuel and use forecourts as a route to commit more serious crimes. By building successful partnerships with local police, retailers and other agencies through initiatives such as BOSS Forecourt Watch and Payment Watch schemes, we are able to deter and prevent crime on forecourts as well as bringing offenders to justice.’ Payment Watch helps fuel retailers recover financial losses incurred when drivers fill up, claim to be unable to pay and subsequently fail to return to settle up. Since its launch in 2010, the scheme has achieved average recovery rates of 80%, generating overwhelmingly positive feedback from among almost 1,000 retailers so far signed up, whose losses it has helped to recoup.