Shepparton police Acting Inspector Brad Fisher said with the rising prices of fuel, police were trying to get on top of fuel thefts before they occurred.
He said police had anticipated a higher number of fuel thefts because of the higher fuel prices, but so far had not seen a spike.
However, he warned people should secure all of their valuables — and this included fuel.
“People will take advantage of the vulnerabilities of others,” Act Insp Fisher said.
He said industries and farms with bigger storage tanks or fuel trailers should lock them up.
“It’s about being on the front foot and being proactive and securing your own valuables,” he said.
Act Insp Fisher said police were not hearing of significant numbers of fuel thefts, but he said that could be because people were not reporting them.
He urged anyone who experienced a fuel theft to report it to police.
“It’s a timely reminder that if we are not aware then we cannot do anything about it,” Act Insp Fisher said.
He also urged people who were storing fuel in small containers to only use containers that were designed to hold fuel after a spike in seeing containers such as plastic milk bottles being used.
“These containers (milk bottles) are not designed for fuel. They will deteriorate,” Act Insp Fisher said.
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