Dallas Police Probe Rash Of Propane Tank Thefts

The thieves typically cut the locks off storage cages and then steal the tanks, and no one knows why. Store surveillance cameras were rolling when a man stole a truckload of propane tanks from a gas station in south Dallas.

Since that robbery over the summer, the city has seen a rash of propane thefts in the area east of White Rock Lake -- nearly 200 canisters taken from gas stations and Walgreens stores. The Walgreens at Lakeland Drive and Ferguson Road has been hit three times.

"That's kind of scary because are they using it for making drugs or making a bomb? Beause propane you can pretty much do anything with it," neighbor Colleen McCoy said.

Since Sept 11, 2001, the FBI has investigated propane tank thefts in a number of large U.S. cities, citing potential terrorism concerns.

Dallas police said they do not think the recent thefts are a threat to homeland security.

“I think there's a possibility of that, but I don't think there's been any hard and firm evidence that's the case,” Dallas police Det. Eric Keller said.

Instead, police said they believe it's more likely the tanks are being stolen and sold as scrap metal. 

"Aluminum is running 70 to 75 cents a pound right now, so it has a value to it and i think that's why they're doing it," Keller said.

Meanwhile, some stores have simply given up. Several Walgreens in East Dallas have stopped selling propane because they just couldn't keep it from disappearing.

A spokeswoman for the FBI office in Dallas said the thefts haven't risen to the level yet where they have become a priority for the agency to investigate, but they are keeping an eye on it.

Dallas police have asked local scrap yards to stop accepting the tanks, hoping that will cut the number of thefts.