The Reason for Stealing Grease
The National Renderers Association estimates more than $75 million worth of grease is stolen every year, according to a 2019 calculation. Thieves often operated under the natural camouflage of darkness – breaking into outdoor grease containers, sometimes as easily as pulling a truck or van beside it and vacuuming the grease out into their own tank. A service or utility truck sitting in an empty restaurant parking lot at night is a natural disguise and hardly looks suspicious.
There’s only so much you can do from a security standpoint with an outdoor grease receptacle. They’re usually located in a trash corral, an unnatural spot to place a security camera, and any lock or defense mechanism can be dismantled with a torch or bolt cutter.
Even when theft is detected, there isn’t much to be done about it. Theft is often a fickle crime to prosecute. States have varying thresholds on what constitutes misdemeanor and felony theft. As mentioned earlier, law enforcement agencies have a plethora of other crimes to worry about, and grease not seeming like a valuable commodity on the surface doesn’t help either.
Lastly, the incentive for stealing grease is intensifying as the value of this commodity continues to skyrocket. Yellow grease can be used as an ingredient in the production of biofuel, a healthier alternative to petroleum fuel. With the demand for cleaner-burning alternatives increasing, the value of converted used cooking oil has skyrocketed. The more coveted this commodity is, the more prone it is to theft.
DAR PRO’s proactive solution:
What’s being done about this eight-figure issue? DAR PRO is taking proactive approach to grease theft via our Grease Police team. The team is headed up by Frank Scoggins, who spent 25 years as a narcotics and homicide detective in the Houston Police Department. Scoggins and his team of agents investigate instances of grease theft across the country. Their approach is three-pronged: Investigate, coordinate and educate.
“Our team is comprised of highly-motivated people,” Scoggins said. “I would put our guys up against any agency out there. They are truly one-percenters in the industry.”
Investigating is perhaps the most time-consuming aspect of the job. As previously mentioned, these thieves often operate under the shield of darkness. Catching them in the act can be difficult. Scoggins and his team do most all the investigative legwork and turn over the evidence they’ve compiled to local law enforcement with the hopes of it leading to an arrest.
The team has investigated grease theft across the country, in Florida, Texas, Missouri and everywhere in-between. Grease thieves vary in where they operate and how much ground they cover. Some make multiple stops over the course of a few hours in various places in one city. Others travel miles and cross state lines to steal grease and their reach can become quite expansive.
Since 2013, the Grease Police’s work has helped lead to over 1,000 arrests across the country.
Aside from arrests made, the Grease Police view success through grease saved too. A single arrest in Houston last year led to 1,000 more pounds per week of grease collected, which in turn leads to healthier rebates for our customers. That increased amount of oil collected per week translates to 52,000 more pounds per year and an additional 4,200 gallons of renewable diesel produced. Scoggins and his team understand the value of what they’re protecting and make a conscious effort to convey this to law enforcement.
“We don’t call it waste vegetable oil because waste has no value,” Scoggins said. “This has value because of what we are able to turn it into.”
That’s where the role they play in education is important. The more law enforcement agencies and the general public know about this crime, its eight-figure annual cost and its growing prevalence, the more vigilant they’ll become. Scoggins feels his team has made a difference in this way and that more people understand the seriousness of this issue than before.
With the price of yellow grease continuing to rise and the demand for petroleum fuel alternatives intensifying, more thieves have entered the marketplace. The Grease Police’s work and DAR PRO’s efforts to combat it are as important as ever.
“It was kind of a joke a when we first started, which was frustrating, but more people understand now,” Scoggins said. “If we hadn’t done the work we have done in previous years, it would probably be very bad right now. Because we have some of the really bad ones under control, it is more manageable.”
If you detect grease theft at your business, contact your local police department and then call your provider to report the theft.
Stop grease thieves before they become a problem for you. By investing in grease theft prevention, not only are you protecting your business and your business partners, but you are also making a positive impact on the environment. Installation of a used cooking oil tank with anti-theft technology is quick, and collection is all hands-off for you.
Contact us to talk about the best solution for your business. Call us 24/7/365 at 855-DAR-PRO1 (855-327-7761).
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8/18/2021