In our view: Pay-before-youpump legislation not answer to fuel-theft problem in N.B.

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Given the soaring cost of fossil fuels in the 21st century, it should come as no surprise that theft is on the rise at gas stations. It definitely shouldn't have taken the gas-station industry off guard, though it seems that it might have.

An official with Wilson Fuels said earlier this week that the company's stations are struggling to deal with an increase in pump-'n'-dash incidents. He estimated gas theft has almost doubled as compared to last year.

He suggested that one way to deal with the problem is to have the provincial government draft and enact legislation that will help the industry in its fight against combustion crime.

He wants the province to force consumers to pay for their gas before they pump it, citing similar legislation is already in place in other jurisdictions, such as British Columbia and Manitoba.

We respectfully disagree with the suggestion.

Theft is, unfortunately, a harsh reality for any retail business, and why the gas-station industry feels it deserves special assistance is beyond us.

The gas-station operators with whom The Daily Gleaner spoke admitted that not all stations have video surveillance in place, something that could curb instances of theft or at least aid in the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Video surveillance is commonplace in retail operations, small and large, and their use also offers businesses a benefit in terms of lower insurance rates.

If people were to spend a week looking in on pleas and sentencings in Fredericton's provincial courts, they'd discover that thieves routinely target large department and grocery stores.

The annual losses at those stores would make some gas-station operators blush, we would imagine.

Those larger stores employ not only video surveillance but in-house security personnel. These efforts are, sadly, part of the cost of doing business, and the costs eventually find their way into the price tags on the products lining their shelves.

If Wal-Mart or Zellers was to lobby the province to legislate security measures to bolster its bottom line, New Brunswickers would likely be amused, outraged or both.

Gas-station operators shouldn't expect the taxpayers to expend their resources just so the stations can preserve theirs.

There's nothing stopping the stations from implementing pay-before-you-pump policies of their own. They don't need the province to decree it to be so, save to serve as a scapegoat.

Government regulation and intrusion into our lives should be limited to what's absolutely essential to help us attain or preserve a good quality of life.