Page 24 - marchapril2025neat

When is theft more
When is theft more
than just a crime?
than just a crime?

W ha t is YOUR Risk Thr eshold?

s theft just a simple act of taking something that one recent case a truckload of propane cylinders was
does not belong to you or something more? This is ordered. The theft initiated with a credit application
a very difficult question to answer, but something we from an established company in one state and the
Ineed to consider as hazardous material or hazardous cylinders were to be delivered to a remote area of a
material adjacent distributors. distant state. The credit application was approved and
Consider this: an entity attempts to steal a delivery scheduled. Thankfully, a vigilant third-party
propane cylinder, is this a police activity? What if it is transporter was hired to ship the product and based on
20? 100? 1000? Is police notification sufficient? What a previous theft experience in the same area that re-
if someone steals a gallon of propane out of your bob- sulted in lack of payment for materials and delivery, the
tail? What if they steal the bobtail? transporter warned the manufacturer. This resulted
in a stop sale, notification of local authorities, and an
What about abnormal or questionable pur- internal investigation.
chases? What if a person actually pays for your materi-
al but the purchase doesn’t make sense? Do you have So, what happens next? How do you protect
a duty to report, or can you just write it off as; “people yourself? If nothing was stolen, what actions do you
do funny things”? What is your risk threshold? expect from the local authorities and what can you do
to protect yourself in the future from repeat attempts?
Recently several manufacturers and distribu- As a hazardous materials shipper or hazardous ma-
tors have experienced product thefts or diversions. In terials component manufacturer you have a number

24 Alabama Propane Gas Association | March / April 2025