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As Calgary police continue to struggle to respond to the skyrocketing number of vehicle thefts in the city, police brass and the Calgary police commission are considering a bylaw targeting people who leave their vehicle running with the keys inside.

Calgary has the highest vehicle theft rates in the country, with the total number of stolen vehicles reaching a 10-year high in 2017, according to a report presented at a meeting of the police commission Tuesday.

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An average of 111 vehicles are stolen in Calgary each week.

And while police are stepping up measures to combat auto thefts, one of the biggest contributing factors is owners who leave their vehicle running with the keys in the ignition.

Between 15 and 20 per cent of vehicles stolen in the city since last November were left running by their owners.

“So many of these vehicles are stolen with keys in the ignition,” Chief Roger Chaffin said.