Anyone who’s pulled up to the gas pump lately has felt the impact of rising gasoline costs.

As the cost of crude oil rises to record highs ‹ over $55 per barrel ‹ the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel have been rising as well, leaving some people tempted to split without paying.

It’s a bad idea that could cost the driver a lot more than footing the bill.

Detective Sgt. David Faber of the Utica Police Department said that, in June of 2000, new legislation made stealing or attempting to steal fuel an enhanced misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail, a $500 fine and a one-year driver’s license suspension.

Many service stations have video cameras that can take photos of license plates and gasoline attendants are trained to keep a watchful eye on who is outside at the pumps.

“They give us a description of the car, a description of the person and a lot of times, their security cameras can get the license plate number,” Faber said. “Most times, when we get one, we figure it out and track them down.”

Faber said that even as the average price per gallon has broken through the $2 barrier, his department has not yet seen any sharp increase in drive-offs.

“We have had a few, but most of the time it’s an accident,” Faber said. “They’ll swipe their debit or credit card in the pump and it doesn’t take but they don’t realize it. They’ll pump the gas, thinking they’ve paid for it and then they’ll leave.”

Such an incident occurred April 1 at the BP fuel station on Hall Road at Van Dyke.

The attendant called police after a female driver pumped $50 in gasoline into a pickup truck, then left without apparently paying.

Police tracked the woman through the license plate number and found that the woman had used her ATM/debit card and the pump didn’t register the transaction.

The woman returned to the station and paid for the fuel and no further action was taken.

Shelby Township has had similar situations.

“We’ve had a couple that have been accidental and we’ve been able to catch up with them, have them go back and pay,” said Detective Lt. Steven Stanbury, commander of the Shelby Township Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Stanbury said that the probability of drive-offs likely increases as fuel costs rise, but his department hasn’t really seen an increase.

Officers will handle any situation that arises, but plan no special enforcement efforts.

“We’ll take it as it comes,” he said.

Sterling Heights police are taking a similar position.

“We are expecting that if gas continues to rise, there’ll be one or two,” said Lt. Michael Reese, community relations officer for the Sterling department.

Reese said that he suspects that, if prices continue to rise or hold steady at higher-than-typical prices, that gas station owners will take their own preventative measures to prevent drive-offs.

“I’m sure we will see gas station owners switching over so that you’ll have to prepay or use a credit card only,” he said.