The footage looks like it all came from city cameras. I can't imagine that the station had a camera up on a utility pole out on the sidewalk. Strange that the gas station didn't have any cameras covering their parking lot, but maybe their lot cams were under the awning and aimed just at plates and the pumps. Either that or it was simpler to just release footage from gov't owned cameras? Maybe the cams at the station weren't working? Maybe the station owner didn't want to be seen as a "rat" in the hood and wasn't cooperating or asked that his footage not be shown publicly? It's also possible that the closeup sidewalk video was the best they had for ID. The station might've just had old analog cams.
I know a number of stations where the outside cams have died due to weather/age and weren't fixed or replaced. With the cheapness of HDCVI cams and hybrid NVRs, it doesn't cost that much for a drastic upgrade in video quality from analog if the existing wiring is still good. Strange, because I know the owner of one such station and he's always complaining about losing money to driveoff gas theft but won't put out any money to actually help ID the buggers. I even retrieved stolen property from one guy he caught stealing indoor merchandise (a pair of gloves he left sticking out his back pocket), chewed him out, and sent him on his way. After reviewing the functioning indoor cams later, it turns out this guy had also stolen a bunch of fireworks out of the packaging and stuck them in his clothes, making about a hundred bucks worth of fireworks unsellable. He didn't bother pressing charges as long as the guy never came back. Good deal for both of them, but the guy was out on probation and would definitely keep stealing after that.