ELKHART — Elkhart police are cracking down on drivers who take off without paying for gas.

They arrested Brian Kilmer and Katrina Carter for stealing about $140 worth of gas in two separate drive-offs.

With money tight, police say more drivers are willing to risk stealing at the pumps.

“We're trying to be more proactive because of the economy and the layoffs,” Barb Turney told WSBT News.

Turney manages Hucks Gas Station on Elkhart's south side. She says many stations are dealing with a surge in drive-offs.

Money is tight for some as the result of company downsizing and a jump in gas and food prices.

"When people don't have the money to pay, they're going to come in and be sneaky and get the fuel,” Turney explained. “I've seen it where they'll come in with their hooded jackets and you know where they get in their cars and they have no plate on their car or an illegal plate."

“Part of the reason could be the economy, just because there are more people without jobs this year than there were last year,” said Elkhart Police Lt. Ed Windbigler. “Some people become desperate and will take that risk of driving off with gas."

In each and every case where there is a drive-off, if the station can not recoup the money from the stolen gas, it has to shoulder the loss itself.

“It's a theft and it decreases our income,” Turney said. “It's a loss for the company."

But many stations are becoming more vigilant in watching for drive-offs and finding ways to get the description or license plates of the thieves to police.

"It gives us more information to work the case, which means more people are going to be arrested or restitution given back to the gas station,” Windbigler said.

Turney says they stopped one driver on his seventh attempt to drive off without paying. She claims he was responsible for taking $320 in stolen gas.