Recovered Bikes Find Rightful Owners
Devinci, Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Trek, Miele, Rocky Mountain, Aquila, Jamis, Specialized, Giant, Schwinn, GT, Norco, Marin... Paul Frank?
All kinds of makes and models of bikes, seized in a recent raid on Igor Kenk's Bicycle Clinic last Friday, were on display this past weekend at Toronto Police Central Garage near King and Dufferin.
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, people came to the open house to mull over the 220 bicycles that were apprehended, searching for their long lost two-wheeler.
"This is the best and quickest way to get the bikes back to the original owners," said Police Inspector Bryce Evans of Toronto's 14th division. "As a result of this investigation, there's a seizure of about 1500 additional bikes in the downtown core."
This is a result of search warrants that resulted in five more caches of bikes discovered in Toronto warehouse spaces.
If you had a bike stolen in Toronto and weren't able to get to the open house this weekend, they extended the viewing until 6 p.m this evening at Central Garage on 9 Hanna Ave.
"Next weekend there will be more to see in a bigger facility," said Evans. Stay tuned for information on where and when this will be set up.
According to a Toronto Police Service press release issued this afternoon, more than 50 bicycles have so far been identified and returned to their rightful owners. Including one bicycle that was stolen eight years ago.
One of the lucky few to get his bike back is Mark McGann, 49, whose '93 Genesis Grey Owl was stolen on his birthday last month.
"I went out to get a coffee and when I came home I leaned my bike on my front porch and went inside to put my coffee down, before going out to get bread." explains McGann. "When I went back out, less than four minutes later my bike was gone."
This story sounds all too familiar. Bike thieves are a wily bunch. Often they'd follow you, waiting for you to make the slightest mistake that gives them an opportunity to make off with your $1500 bike.
"I'm one of the owners of Comrags on Queen Street West and I had heard about Igor's bike shop," says McGann's wife, Kelly Mansell. "When I heard on the radio this morning about the bike recovery I came here to check it out. The bike lock was still on the bike, so we went home to get the key to unlock it and take it back home."
As I wander through the dozens of bikes, I'm not surprised to notice that some of them are just frames, their wheels and gears all stripped bare. I come upon a child's bike carrier and wonder what morally corrupt thief would steal that?
Police detective Izzy Bernardo with the Major Crimes Unit of Toronto's 14th division says bicycles are part of property, so they're part of what his unit investigates, along with drugs, street robberies, gang violence and auto theft.
"This is not about villainizing Igor. This is about prosecuting someone who is not following the moral rules of society," says Bernardo. "This recovery and investigation is about getting the bikes back to the people."
Police are requesting the public's assistance with any information on any premises or storage facilities known to be owned or rented by Igor Kenk of the Bike Clinic.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1400, Crime Stoppers
anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online.
If you attend one of the viewings, you will also have the opportunity to register your bike using the TPS online registry.
And if that's your pink Paul Frank Skurvy bike, be sure to bring proof of ownership (receipt of purchase, previous police report or registration) to claim back your sweet ride.
Photos by Roger Cullman.
Comments (29)
Curious... what do they accept as proof of ownership? Do bike owners need to provide serial numbers? General descriptions?
I got mine back yesterday. It was stolen last monday at u of t. I had a photo of me with the bike and I knew some info about the bike. I also described the bike when I filed a police report last week. you need to file a report before showing up to get your bike back. It will make your life 200% easier when you find it.
The more specific your description of the bike, the better. They're looking for your store receipts, ID and/or pictures of you on your bike. If you've still got your bike lock or know the combination of the lock, that could work for you too, provided the lock's still intact and with the bike.
I'm not sure if this service is still available, but I just read that you can also call the 14 Division community response unit at Exhibition Place (416-808-1500) with a description of your bike and the police there may be able to look for you.
Just curious.. anyone knows what happens if you registered your bike in the city registry?
Did they get in touch with those people, or did they say, "suck it, we don't care if you registered it, show us receipts"?
Yeah, I wonder about the receipt as well. I bought mine at Canadian Tire and they only give you a register receipt. I don't think I have it. I do have pictures with my bike, though, would they count? (this is just hypothetically, luckily I haven't been a victim, yet).
They have a room to the side where they have taken all the bikes that are in the registry. I was told that the owners of those bikes are being reunited with their bikes this week. They took down the serial number of each bike recovered, so having the serial number in your registry entry is the easiest way of verifying it's identity as yours.
That's pretty cool...
None of the media articles mentioned the registry, and I was kind of wondering if it was completely pointless.
I think they missed an opportunity to promote the bike registry though, it would have been pretty cool for them to say to the media ".. and these people will be getting a call from us to say that we have their bikes; they registered in the registry just in case this happened."
I wonder if they'll make the registry system more organized now that officers have had to search through hundreds of records?
Some guy who had his bike stolen 8 years ago got it back.
I wonder if my previous bike, stolen 7 years ago, is there...
Very possible... I am sure some of the bikes have been stolen and resold more than once in the last 8 years.
I think that some of the bikes that were in storage may have been there for several years too. Do you think this might give you a glimmer of hope if your bike was stolen several years ago?
This is pretty cool, nice to see people GET their bikes back for a change.
My take, people who steal someone's wheels should get the same treatment as horse thieves back in the day. Taking someone's wheels is just the lowest of lows.
These 1500 stolen bikes are all attributed to one guy and were discovered as a result of a very simple and cheap investigation.
It's sad that the police refused to do anything about this suspected bike thief even though they knew about his actions for YEARS. How many bikes have been resold, stripped apart or destroyed in the time it took for the police to get off their butts and do something? It's a real shame that it takes a news article to get the police to take action.
But hey, on the bright side, now that the police have gotten a taste for how easy it is to investigate bike thefts that they'll do it more often. 1500 bikes from a relatively simple investigation? They'd be stupid not to keep it up.
It is disgusting that Toronto police let this pussbag fester until they couldn't look away any longer.
That so many bikes were recovered is not a victory, but a sign that Toronto's police force doesn't consider bike theft a crime. Shame on Toronto police.
I heard that Igor lives in a swanky house in Yorkville, and that there are a bunch of bikes stored there too. His bike theft enterprise amounts to racketeering IMHO.
It was a bit disturbing to read the previous Igor thread wherein people rationalized patronizing his shop.
I had my ccm bike stolen last year on Richmond. I don't have the receipt for it, or any photos of me on it. I can describe it but that's it. I never even filed a claim for it. I figured I'd never get it back and now I wonder if it's there and I won't be able to do anything about it.
@magda: It's worth a shot if you've got a detailed description of it, including any particular marks or accessories on it that help prove it was yours. Perhaps if you go back to the store where it was purchased they can dig up a receipt for you.
I'm really glad that the police are helping out the bike community. It's really needed, and I'm glad they took this huge step in the right direction. If we want to encourage sustainable transportation, we have to enforce property protection for bikes!
I can't wait for them to draft more bike lanes!!! (hint hint...)
One of my favourite bikes was stolen a few years ago. I only had it for 6 weeks, but i *do* have a picture of me with it, and a clear picture of the bike itself. I reported it, but don't have any proof of that (it was by phone). I might give it a try if I have time to go next week..
I wonder if I should bother looking. My bike was stolen off the front porch 2 weeks ago, but it's over 25 years old (originally my dad's), bought in the 80's - no receipt and unfortunately never took a photo with it.
You could always come down to the open house and plead your case. If it's convincing enough you may just get your beater back. Who'd go through all that trouble to rip off a 25-year-old bike?
I am really curious about the economics of Igors operation; he buys stolen bikes for whatever, strips them, sells a few for cheap; but basically keeps them. He has a huge inventory, but little turnover. So where does he get his money for everything ?
UPDATE: The Bicycle Recovery Program will start on Friday, July 25, 2008 and end on Thursday, July 31, 2008.
Hours of operation:
− Friday, July 25, 2008: noon to 8 p.m.
− Saturday, July 26, 2008 and Sunday, July 27, 2008: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
− Monday, July 28, 2008 to Thursday, July 31, 2008: noon to 8 p.m.
The bicycles are available for viewing at 35 Strachan Avenue and 30 Ordnance Street. Those who attend to recover their bicycles should be prepared to offer proof of ownership, such as receipts or store registrations. Owner identification will be required. Photo ID is preferred.
Police officers will be present to register bicycles.
I got my Kona mtb (stolen 2 years ago) back yesterday! Only had a partial pic of it and no receipts, but they didn't ask to see it. They just need you to swear that it is yours and explain how you know that. Of course, serial numbers and receipts would help if you have them. Cheers to the police for making the effort. Can't believe people let so many of these operations go on. My bike trailer, toddler helmet, shoes, clothes, etc. were taken at the same time and the kids had to cab back home and learn about "bad guys". Anyone who buys stolen stuff should feel very guilty.
Roger,
Thanks. I might actually head down there and see if they can do anything. I'm worried there might be so many people that can just "describe" a bike...
Getting my bike stolen was one of the worst things ever. :(
After visiting the 14 division warehouses of Igors bikes this week and reading that only 300 of 2700 have been claimed "stolen" by the public make us wonder a few things.
1. these bikes are actually belong to the bike shop owner perhaps thru "pawn" shop means.
or
2. they are not all from this city.
How does one come up with this theory? well let me tell you..
As i looked through the warehouse of bikes I spotted a beautiful all chrome nikishiki road bike frame in the unmarked section of the warehouse (they are all separated alphebetically) . I stopped and admired it and went on to not find any of my bikes.
When i returned home I googled "chrome nikishiki road bike" and saw a number of descriptions of this brand of bike but no chrome picture.
But what i did find is a ad from a fellow who had post a Craigslist Montreal ad re: losing a nikishiki chrome bike in Montreal and he had left his phone number , i rang him up to let him know his bike may be in toronto and to contact 14 division to see if that is he can send a picture of his bike and perhaps claim what is left of his bike.
Why couldn't there be a free exchange of "pawn" bikes between cities and provinces?
I read on one of the newspapers that people would see vans in alleyways dropping off "stuff" at all hours and many of us has seen Igors pickup around town (off ossington and out front of his shop). but maybe these vans where from some place else?
In the meantime the rest of the junkers and fab frames that have been recovered are now evidence for the pending case and could wind up back in Igors hands all sorted and labeled for Igor to hoard or sell once he had or has not been punished for the various charges pending.
Just thoughts and real observations
I got my racer back after 4 years just before they closed. I had a blurry picture from facebook which was good enough to take my bike back (now with no wheels or pedals and a bent frame), but not without filling out and signing an affidavit...
and swearing on the Bible!
Luckily I'm not religious, but what if I was Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or (gasp) Athiest!?!?
The combo of church and state in this country smacks of cultural insensitivity as much as getting my stolen property back from the police force smacks of laughable irony.
But anyways, I got my bike back!
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