stolen bikes toronto

Bike thefts in Toronto are way up

Cycling has never been more popular in Toronto and neither has bike thefts.

According to the CBC, bike thefts have gone up 26 per cent from 2014 to 2016, with mountain and black-coloured bikes being targeted the most by thieves.

Numbers obtained from the Toronto Police show that 3,728 were reported stolen last year and only 49 were recovered.

Breaking and entering is up 74 per cent since 2014 as well, a troubling trend that has a lot of people wondering what should be done about this epidemic.

Nearly everyone in Toronto has felt the sting of having a bike or two stolen. But the problem comes from the difficulty in identifying and apprehending bike thieves.

Recovery is also rarity for bike owners, with Police citing the convertible nature of the bike, which can be quickly and easily converted into cash or parts and sold on the streets or online.

There is the occasional victory for bike owners, like the arrest of notorious bike thief Igor Kenk many years back, but until a viable solution comes along, there's always bike sharing.

Lead photo by

Gabi


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