Minnesota briefs: Bemidji police warn of holes drilled in vehicles by gas thieves

The Council passed a resolution in June supporting the concept but said it needed further study.

The City Council concluded that it's not the right time for such a facility, said Mayor Rod Steele.

"Right now the national immigration scene is just a chaotic mess," Steele said. "Both sides are taking polarizing sides on it."

Steele said he didn't think the facility could be funded before 2020, adding that Tower Development was starting to "waver a bit" on the project.

The City Council voted 4-0 to rescind its support, with one member absent.

After the vote, a handful of people spoke against the detention center and thanked the City Council for rethinking its earlier decision.

Tyler Lejcher also thanked the council, but he stressed that immigrants need to come into the country legally.

Dan Browning

Police in Bemidji are warning residents and businesses — especially those who own fleet trucks and vans — to watch out for a new tactic for stealing gas: drilling holes in the tanks.

Within about a week, around a half dozen gas tanks had been drilled on such vehicles around town and the gas drained from them, police said. Thieves are using the tactic because many vehicles now have anti-siphoning features.

"People have just resorted to apparently drilling the tank, which seems dangerous to me," said Police Chief Mike Mastin, who said it's the first time they've seen the tactic in Bemidji.

Thieves are likely targeting trucks or other vehicles that are high off the ground because it gives them the room to get underneath to drill a hole and collect the gas, Mastin said. But many of those vehicles have large gas tanks, he said, so extra gas could be spilling out and causing environmental concerns, too.

"I would recommend that people park in a really highly visible place," he said. "Or, if they could, put [a vehicle] indoors."