Lawrence gas stations are watching out for an increase in gas thefts stemming from higher prices.

Kelly Williams, manager at Zarco 66 No. 4, 1500 E. 23rd St., said that her store saw an increase in gas thefts when the gas prices got high.

“It’s happened as often as twice a day,” Williams said. “We can go for months without having one and then, all of a sudden, have a burst of them.”

Since Jan. 30, a total of 27 gas thefts around the city have been reported to Lawrence police. According to police reports, the peak of seven thefts occurred during the week of March 6.

The average gas price in Kansas during that week was $1.97.

Employees at gas stations are trained to be more aware of the potential for an increase in gas thefts, said Brian Long, manager at Zarco 66 No. 3, 900 Iowa Street.

Long said the employee on duty was able to identify which customer stole the gas nine out of 10 times.

“We catch most of them,” Long said. “The education process for employees goes a long way.”

Williams said her store used video cameras and binoculars to catch the license plates of thieves.

“We chase them if we have to,” she said.

Lawrence gas stations are also exploring other options to deter people from stealing gas, including pre-paying for gas.

One Lawrence station now requires that all customers pay before they pump.

Jeff Smith, a clerk at Conoco, 955 E. 23rd Street, said once the gas price rose above $2.10, the owner decided to begin using a pre-pay system.

“We lost $160 one Saturday from drive-offs,” Smith said.

Other stores, such as Zarco, are more reluctant to use a pre-pay system because it may inconvenience some customers, Williams said.

In the next few weeks, it’s very likely that Zarco stores will go to a pre-pay system to prevent people from stealing gas, Long said.

Although Long hasn’t seen a significant increase in gas thefts, he said any theft was a big problem for a business.

“It’s one of those things where someone does something illegal and we all have to pay for it,” Long said.