SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) – With gas prices near record highs and a fill-up costing $50 or more, gas station operators are taking steps to prevent customers from driving off without paying and to nab those who fail to pay.

A growing number of stations now require customers to pay before they pump gas, while many larger stations have installed security cameras to help police locate motorists who filled their tanks for free.

At the Big Apple and Shell Station on Cottage Road, which has just two pumps, the cashiers simply watch out the window and jot down license plate numbers. “Our cashiers are pit bulls,” said manager Kathleen LaBreck.

Gas prices in the Portland area averaged $3.13 as of Friday, according to AAA, and Robyn Tucker, a cashier at the Big Apple, said prices any higher would just add to the drive-off temptation.

“I think it’s going to get worse,” said Tucker, who has reported several drive-offs in recent years, including a $60 fill-up that got away. “You can’t catch ’em all, but we try.”

The price rise in the past couple of weeks has not led to a theft problem, according to police and gas station operators. One reason may be the steps stations took to crack down on drive-offs after a price spike more than a year ago.

Still, South Portland police continue to receive about one to three drive-off reports a day from the city’s gas stations, Lt. Frank Toderico said. “It’s a regular complaint,” he said.

Unless officers are in the neighborhood when the theft takes place and can try to stop the car, police trace the registration and talk to its owner. Most cases end with the owners saying they simply forgot to pay, then handing over the money.

“We have to take them at their word,” said Toderico, who said he thinks about 25 percent of the cases may be honest mistakes.

Many local stations now require motorists to pay, or leave keys or a credit card, before they pump.

Some stations started that policy more than a year ago, when prices climbed well beyond $3 and drive-offs increased.

But requiring customers to pay up front can have its drawbacks.

“We did that last year when we had a lot of drive-off problems,” said Eric Kiger, owner of a 7-11 franchise on Congress Street that sells Citgo gasoline. Business noticeably dropped, he said, either because of the inconvenience or pre-paying or the feeling that customers weren’t being trusted. “It’s kind of offensive to them.”