Mounties in Campbell River want to hit the brakes on a "disturbing" trend has been taking place at traffic stops.
In the last year, eight drivers have tried to flee from police when a traffic stop is initiated, according to RCMP.
While eight cases of fleeing from police might not seem like a widespread problem, Mounties say it's a trend they want to stop before it gets worse.
"When individuals attempt to flee from police, they put the public at large at risk," Campbell River RCMP said in a news release.
"These individuals take off at high rates of speed and cease to obey any traffic laws at all, running red lights, speeding over crosswalks, and in the most recent instance the driver used a pedestrian walkway in an attempt to evade capture."
Some drivers who have fled stops are known drug traffickers from other cities, police said.
"[They] have come to Campbell River to peddle their brand of human misery," said Campbell River RCMP spokesman Const. Maury Tyre.
The detachment is warning any drivers who might try to dodge traffic stops that it will use marked and unmarked police cars and RCMP air services to pursue them.
Anyone found guilty of flight from police can receive a sentence of up to five years and possible life imprisonment if someone dies as a result.
