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Amid bankruptcy, Stockton cops find empty gas pumps

August 1, 2012 |  7:16 am

Stockton police officers and firefighters said they haven't been able to fill the gas tanks of their emergency vehicles because the pumps at their stations are empty.

"They're ready to go to work and they go to fill their cars up. And they can't do that," said Det. Mark McLaughlin of the Stockton Police Officers Assn.

"The PD and fire dept. are both out of gas and the gas companies will not service us because we r in BK" one person texted Fox 40 News. "... the gas vendor is owed money and will no longer service to us."

Stockton Petroleum, which had provided gas to the city, confirmed that they ended the contract because the city is in bankruptcy.

The owner, Jay McIlrath, stressed that it had fulfilled its contract with Stockton and did not leave the city without gas.

City officials said it wasn't their choice to end the contract. They confirmed that the city is out of gas and were not able to say how long it had been going on.

"Certainly we don't wanna be standing around wondering if we could get gas or not, when we could be handling the streets," McLaughlin said.

Cops were worried how they'd be able to do their jobs without one of their most basic resources —  gas in their cars.

With two more murders on Monday, now at 38 since January, cops say they already have their hands full.

"It's the problem we face everyday, is what's gonna happen next, [going to happen] to us? Are we not gonna have cars? Are we not gonna have fuel?" McLaughlin said. "As it is, we're losing bodies everyday. So on top of that, not having fuel or bodies, it just adds to the stress that we're going through right now."

By Tuesday afternoon, city officials said they were negotiating a new contract for gas and that gas was back in the pumps.


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