Calgary police release helicopter footage of vehicle thefts to illustrate risks to public safety
Video depicts carjackings, a pedestrian nearly hit on a sidewalk and stolen cars racing into oncoming traffic
Car thefts in Calgary were up 51 per cent last year compared to the previous five-year average.
To illustrate how dangerous these kinds of crimes can be, police have released footage of some of the wilder chases they've had to deal with.
"The examples include a vehicle that narrowly misses a pedestrian on a sidewalk, two carjackings and vehicles being driven at high rates of speed into oncoming traffic and through red lights," police said in a release.
"Of significant concern is the impact stolen vehicles can have on both public and officer safety."
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There were 4,879 reports of stolen vehicles last year, according to police, and about one in four thefts involved keys that had been left inside the vehicle.
Police said 14 vehicles that were left running with the keys inside were stolen on Wednesday morning alone.
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The released footage comes from the HAWCS helicopter unit, which police said is "often used as the safest option to track stolen vehicles that are being driven in a reckless manner."
Watch the full video released by police here: