Toronto: Bike store owner charged with bike theft
07-19-08, 03:49 AM
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Toronto: Bike store owner charged with bike theft
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/462615
REPOST:
Bike-shop owner charged with theft
TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR
Const. Ian Parker stands guard outside The Bicycle Clinic on July 17, 2008, after the bike shop's owner Igor Kenk was charged with bicycle theft. Email story
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Jul 18, 2008 04:30 AM
John Goddard
staff reporter
Long-time bike-shop owner Igor Kenk is in jail charged with bicycle theft , police said yesterday.
Kenk, 49, was remanded in custody at a bail hearing, while police officers stood guard at the padlocked front and back doors of his bike-repair storefront The Bicycle Clinic, on Queen St. W. at Strachan Ave.
On Tuesday evening, three officers planted an unlocked bike near the shop, roughly across from the gates to Trinity Bellwoods Park, police said.
A second, locked bike happened to be standing nearby.
Two men, one with bolt cutters, were seen at the bikes, police said.
Kenk and Jean Laveau are charged with theft, attempted theft and possession of stolen property. Laveau is also charged with possession of burglary tools.
Kenk's shop, which opened 16 years ago, was secured for investigation, said Det. Sgt. Ed Roseto.
Bicycle thefts have been rampant this summer, he said.
"Ninety-six in the last six weeks within 41 Division alone," Roseto said of the police district running from Scarborough.
In the city as a whole, 4,500 bicycles have been reported missing this year, police announced separately this week.
"The Bicycle Clinic" is not a registered name and is not connected to The Bike Clinic on Harbord St.
END REPOST
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/462615
REPOST:
Bike-shop owner charged with theft
TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR
Const. Ian Parker stands guard outside The Bicycle Clinic on July 17, 2008, after the bike shop's owner Igor Kenk was charged with bicycle theft. Email story
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Jul 18, 2008 04:30 AM
John Goddard
staff reporter
Long-time bike-shop owner Igor Kenk is in jail charged with bicycle theft , police said yesterday.
Kenk, 49, was remanded in custody at a bail hearing, while police officers stood guard at the padlocked front and back doors of his bike-repair storefront The Bicycle Clinic, on Queen St. W. at Strachan Ave.
On Tuesday evening, three officers planted an unlocked bike near the shop, roughly across from the gates to Trinity Bellwoods Park, police said.
A second, locked bike happened to be standing nearby.
Two men, one with bolt cutters, were seen at the bikes, police said.
Kenk and Jean Laveau are charged with theft, attempted theft and possession of stolen property. Laveau is also charged with possession of burglary tools.
Kenk's shop, which opened 16 years ago, was secured for investigation, said Det. Sgt. Ed Roseto.
Bicycle thefts have been rampant this summer, he said.
"Ninety-six in the last six weeks within 41 Division alone," Roseto said of the police district running from Scarborough.
In the city as a whole, 4,500 bicycles have been reported missing this year, police announced separately this week.
"The Bicycle Clinic" is not a registered name and is not connected to The Bike Clinic on Harbord St.
END REPOST
07-19-08, 04:26 AM
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There's the answer...
...to the often posed: "This bike was just sitting unlocked in the rack, so I took it. That's o.k., right? If they wanted it, they would have locked it. Someone else would have taken it anyway, right?..."
The police sting was run with an unlocked bike.
***Long-time bike-shop owner Igor Kenk is in jail charged with bicycle theft , police said yesterday.
On Tuesday evening, three officers planted an unlocked bike near the shop, roughly across from the gates to Trinity Bellwoods Park, police said.***
Unlocked in the rack does not imply finders/keepers, for all the morally challenged out there!
Hopefully, the owner gets a stiff sentence if true, like a fireman who starts fires. It is great to see the police took bike theft seriously enough to run a sting.
The police sting was run with an unlocked bike.
***Long-time bike-shop owner Igor Kenk is in jail charged with bicycle theft , police said yesterday.
On Tuesday evening, three officers planted an unlocked bike near the shop, roughly across from the gates to Trinity Bellwoods Park, police said.***
Unlocked in the rack does not imply finders/keepers, for all the morally challenged out there!
Hopefully, the owner gets a stiff sentence if true, like a fireman who starts fires. It is great to see the police took bike theft seriously enough to run a sting.
07-19-08, 07:15 AM
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On Tuesday evening, three officers planted an unlocked bike near the shop, roughly across from the gates to Trinity Bellwoods Park, police said.
A second, locked bike happened to be standing nearby.
Two men, one with bolt cutters, were seen at the bikes, police said.
A second, locked bike happened to be standing nearby.
Two men, one with bolt cutters, were seen at the bikes, police said.
..... had to steal the locked one too. 
Bike thieves should be classified the same as in times of old - horse thieves and cattle rustlers: string 'em up.
07-19-08, 01:50 PM
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Not that I'm paranoid or anything, but I'm wondering if that shop owner has/had any customers through ebay?...
07-19-08, 02:02 PM
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Call me The Breeze
07-19-08, 10:01 PM
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I have heard of an UncleJacob something user on Ebay before (don't have old link handy but read it somehwere here on B.F) that buys used/stolen/recovered bikes off a police reseller on Ebay. I think the guys located in Kensington Market downtown but I could be wrong.
07-19-08, 10:02 PM
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DOOOOOOoooooo IT!!
07-20-08, 03:18 PM
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I had the pleasure to hear it in concert when he came to play for the Troops in Korea. That was a good night.
07-20-08, 04:25 PM
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Update
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/463753
REPOST
BIKE THEFTS
TheStar.com | GTA | Police line up battered wheels for cyclists
Police line up battered wheels for cyclists
COLIN MCCONNELL /TORONTO STAR
Cyclist Tom Mandel (left) speaks with Const. William Wang of 14 Division after finding his bicycle, stolen on Danforth Ave. two months ago, at a three-day open house of recovered property Saturday, July 19, 2008. Email story
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Bereft owners descend on warehouse after series of raids nets hundreds of bicycles
Jul 20, 2008 04:30 AM
Paola Loriggio
Staff Reporter
Katherine Dalziel had almost given up hope when she saw it, lying wheels-up on the concrete floor of the police warehouse: her beloved blue and white Norco road bike, gone missing from a Financial District bike post just over a week ago.
But there it was, still whole, if a little bruised – the cream tape worn off the curved handlebars, the pedals flipped, the seat too high for the petite cyclist. At least it was there.
"I had very low expectations," said Dalziel, 45, who dropped by the Liberty Village warehouse yesterday hoping to retrieve the bike she bought 19 years ago, now probably worth more in memories than in cash. "I'm thrilled to have it back."
It was a day of hope and relief for many Toronto cyclists, the climax of a massive police bust that targeted what some consider the city's largest and most notorious bicycle theft ring.
Victims of recent and long-ago thefts trolled the warehouse yesterday, examining 215 battered and upended bikes – a mere portion of the loot recovered by Toronto police in a series of raids this week.
As the day wore on, the crowds grew thicker, so much that police extended the viewing by a day, stretching it beyond the weekend to accommodate cottagers and others on vacation.
Last night, 26 bikes had been reclaimed by their rightful riders.
The raids centred on The Bicycle Clinic, a second-hand bike store on Queen St. W. near Strachan Ave.
Police officers first spied two men stealing a bike on Queen St. W. Tuesday evening, just steps away from an unlocked bike the officers had planted as bait for would-be thieves.
In the next few days, police raided at least three locations, including the home of Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic, and a storage facility.
On Friday, officers removed some 150 bicycles from the store in broad daylight, drawing cheers and applause from a crowd of passersby who watched them lower the bikes from a second-floor window.
"Things are snowballing as we talk to the public," said Staff Sgt. Steve French of 14 Division. He couldn't put a definitive tally on the bikes, but said it went beyond the hundreds.
"It's fairly unique circumstances to have something of this volume," he said of the operation. Police are asking the public to inform them of any other premises or storage facilities tied to Kenk.
Kenk, 49, and Jean Laveau, 27, both of Toronto, are each charged with theft, attempted theft and possession of stolen property. Laveau is also charged with possession of burglary tools.
Police estimate some 4,500 bicycles are stolen each year in Toronto, but cycling advocates say thousands of thefts go unreported.
"It's a rampant problem in the city," said Bruce Abe, 47, president of Wheel Excitement Inc., a bicycle rental shop on the harbourfront. "It happens every day."
At the warehouse, Abe looked through the bikes like a man on a mission. He spotted one within minutes – a blue and silver Diamond Back hybrid worth roughly $300, the first of six bikes stolen this year from his bicycle rental business – and quickly alerted the officers at the site. After showing them the bike's serial number, Abe set the bike aside and went back to search for the others.
"I think I'll find about four," he said, flashing a list of the missing models.
Near the entrance, police officers confirmed each lucky find, poring over purchase receipts, registration records and photographs. They photographed bikes and owners together, and warned cyclists they may be called upon to testify.
Outside, the fortunate wheeled their bikes away towards vans, trucks and the open road. Brett Ballanger, 24, gave his Miele a quick once-over before riding off into the midday sun, back to his home in the Junction.
"I was lucky," said Ballanger, whose unlocked bike was stolen three months ago from a greenhouse behind his home. "Now I'm gonna lock it up all the time."
END REPOST
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/463753
REPOST
BIKE THEFTS
TheStar.com | GTA | Police line up battered wheels for cyclists
Police line up battered wheels for cyclists
COLIN MCCONNELL /TORONTO STAR
Cyclist Tom Mandel (left) speaks with Const. William Wang of 14 Division after finding his bicycle, stolen on Danforth Ave. two months ago, at a three-day open house of recovered property Saturday, July 19, 2008. Email story
Choose text size
Report typo or correction
License this article
Bereft owners descend on warehouse after series of raids nets hundreds of bicycles
Jul 20, 2008 04:30 AM
Paola Loriggio
Staff Reporter
Katherine Dalziel had almost given up hope when she saw it, lying wheels-up on the concrete floor of the police warehouse: her beloved blue and white Norco road bike, gone missing from a Financial District bike post just over a week ago.
But there it was, still whole, if a little bruised – the cream tape worn off the curved handlebars, the pedals flipped, the seat too high for the petite cyclist. At least it was there.
"I had very low expectations," said Dalziel, 45, who dropped by the Liberty Village warehouse yesterday hoping to retrieve the bike she bought 19 years ago, now probably worth more in memories than in cash. "I'm thrilled to have it back."
It was a day of hope and relief for many Toronto cyclists, the climax of a massive police bust that targeted what some consider the city's largest and most notorious bicycle theft ring.
Victims of recent and long-ago thefts trolled the warehouse yesterday, examining 215 battered and upended bikes – a mere portion of the loot recovered by Toronto police in a series of raids this week.
As the day wore on, the crowds grew thicker, so much that police extended the viewing by a day, stretching it beyond the weekend to accommodate cottagers and others on vacation.
Last night, 26 bikes had been reclaimed by their rightful riders.
The raids centred on The Bicycle Clinic, a second-hand bike store on Queen St. W. near Strachan Ave.
Police officers first spied two men stealing a bike on Queen St. W. Tuesday evening, just steps away from an unlocked bike the officers had planted as bait for would-be thieves.
In the next few days, police raided at least three locations, including the home of Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic, and a storage facility.
On Friday, officers removed some 150 bicycles from the store in broad daylight, drawing cheers and applause from a crowd of passersby who watched them lower the bikes from a second-floor window.
"Things are snowballing as we talk to the public," said Staff Sgt. Steve French of 14 Division. He couldn't put a definitive tally on the bikes, but said it went beyond the hundreds.
"It's fairly unique circumstances to have something of this volume," he said of the operation. Police are asking the public to inform them of any other premises or storage facilities tied to Kenk.
Kenk, 49, and Jean Laveau, 27, both of Toronto, are each charged with theft, attempted theft and possession of stolen property. Laveau is also charged with possession of burglary tools.
Police estimate some 4,500 bicycles are stolen each year in Toronto, but cycling advocates say thousands of thefts go unreported.
"It's a rampant problem in the city," said Bruce Abe, 47, president of Wheel Excitement Inc., a bicycle rental shop on the harbourfront. "It happens every day."
At the warehouse, Abe looked through the bikes like a man on a mission. He spotted one within minutes – a blue and silver Diamond Back hybrid worth roughly $300, the first of six bikes stolen this year from his bicycle rental business – and quickly alerted the officers at the site. After showing them the bike's serial number, Abe set the bike aside and went back to search for the others.
"I think I'll find about four," he said, flashing a list of the missing models.
Near the entrance, police officers confirmed each lucky find, poring over purchase receipts, registration records and photographs. They photographed bikes and owners together, and warned cyclists they may be called upon to testify.
Outside, the fortunate wheeled their bikes away towards vans, trucks and the open road. Brett Ballanger, 24, gave his Miele a quick once-over before riding off into the midday sun, back to his home in the Junction.
"I was lucky," said Ballanger, whose unlocked bike was stolen three months ago from a greenhouse behind his home. "Now I'm gonna lock it up all the time."
END REPOST
07-21-08, 01:23 AM
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I laughed when I saw Igor's name. Not entirely surprised -- I remember hearing rumours to that effect back when I was in university. Still, it's only a charge and not a conviction.
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07-21-08, 11:29 AM
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Glad they were able to catch him.
From my (relatively naive) viewpoint, that shop always looked fishy - I am not surprised in any way that they were selling stolen bikes. What does surprise me is that the shop owner is accused of stealing the bikes himself.
From my (relatively naive) viewpoint, that shop always looked fishy - I am not surprised in any way that they were selling stolen bikes. What does surprise me is that the shop owner is accused of stealing the bikes himself.
07-21-08, 11:59 AM
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Some related videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR0XQrQ-npE - police impound garage for bike ID and return
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVlRB2aZ_-k - scene of the crime and appeal for information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cchGSrwg_cQ - how to register your bike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tit18nRnJaY - 1500+ unclaimed bikes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR0XQrQ-npE - police impound garage for bike ID and return
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVlRB2aZ_-k - scene of the crime and appeal for information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cchGSrwg_cQ - how to register your bike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tit18nRnJaY - 1500+ unclaimed bikes
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shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
07-22-08, 03:46 AM
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Update
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/464768
REPOST
Bike theft tally tops 1,200
RENÉ JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR
Grant Downey picks up his bicycle, which was stolen in 2005, at a Toronto police garage July 21, 2008. It was among a mass of bikes seized in raids. Email story
Print
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License this article
Shop owner now facing over 60 charges after police recover hundreds more bicycles and drugs in raids
Jul 22, 2008 04:30 AM
Emily Mathieu
Staff Reporter
A Toronto bike shop owner is now facing more than 60 charges after a brazen daylight theft led police to a massive stash of stolen bicycles stockpiled at several locations across the city.
Over a period of five days, police recovered between 1,200 and 1,500 bicycles, as well as about 1.5 kilos of marijuana and several ounces of crack cocaine, in a store, residence and several garages while executing a series of search warrants.
Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic at 927 Queen St. W., was arrested last Wednesday after police officers said they witnessed a man directing another person to use bolt cutters to remove the locks off two bikes in front of his store.
Police allege Kenk was paying people to bring him stolen bikes.
"Just from the volume of the bikes it would have to be an operation that was going on for a long time," Det.-Sgt. Egidio Roseto said yesterday.
The seizures may not be over yet. Anyone who might have rented a garage to Kenk is being urged to call police.
Search warrants were executed yesterday and Roseto said new tips are being investigated.
Kenk, 49, was arrested by officers investigating the theft of more than 95 bikes in and around the Queen St. W. and Bathurst St. area over a six-week period.
Police were setting up a bait bike on Queen St. W. when they caught sight of a man directing someone to cut locks off two bikes at about 3 p.m., Roseto said.
The man paid the person with the bolt cutters for the first bike before pointing to a second bike he wanted cut loose and brought into a shop, Roseto added.
Roseto said police had previously recovered stolen property from Kenk's shop, but Kenk was not charged.
Roseto said that plainclothes officers investigating complaints over the years found the store in such a state of chaos that it was impossible to identify a stolen bike.
Word of Kenk's arrest and the recovery of the bikes spread fast through the cycling community. Some are asking how anyone could amass so many stolen bicycles without police intervention.
"Basically we had to have evidence. Once we had evidence from the theft that we witnessed, we went in."
"When we were taking bikes out of his place we had people cheering," Roseto said.
The public was invited yesterday to bring proof of ownership, a receipt, photo of themselves with the bike or serial number, to help identify about 220 recovered bikes at the Toronto Police Central Garage at 9 Hanna Ave., near King St. W. and Dufferin St. The bikes will be on display until 1 p.m. today.
The rest of the bikes – lying in giant tangled piles – still have to be sorted and will be made available to the public for identification shortly, police said.
Grant Downey was reconnected with a bike stolen from his east-end condominium in August 2005.
"When I saw the bike my heart rate was beating faster than any training ride I've been on. I was just jumping up and down," he said.
After the theft of his green and chrome bike in 2005, Downey said guys at a local bike shop told him to look in Kenk's shop.
Downey said he described the bike – which he says is rare and worth about $3,000 today – to Kenk and asked to look inside his shop but was told he couldn't go inside.
Downey said he sneaked in while Kenk was distracted by a customer. "It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You couldn't find anything in there."
He said it was not uncommon for Kenk's shop to be open as late as 11 p.m.
"Being a member of the biking community I do raise an eyebrow when I see that many bikes," Downey said.
"I don't expect them to send out a SWAT team to find my bike," he said.
He said police did a good job recovering the bikes but expressed surprise that what appeared to be a well-known operation was able to carry on for as many years as it did.
"It's nice that he's finally shut down, but it should have happened years ago," said Keith MacDonald, 42, a mechanic at Cycle Solutions on Parliament St.
MacDonald said the value of modern bicycles qualifies the loss of one as a major theft, but several people he knows have only been frustrated when reporting the crime.
"To the police, a bike is a toy," he complained, "and regardless of the fact it's $7,000, it's not worth their time."
END REPOST
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/464768
REPOST
Bike theft tally tops 1,200
RENÉ JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR
Grant Downey picks up his bicycle, which was stolen in 2005, at a Toronto police garage July 21, 2008. It was among a mass of bikes seized in raids. Email story
Choose text size
Report typo or correction
License this article
Shop owner now facing over 60 charges after police recover hundreds more bicycles and drugs in raids
Jul 22, 2008 04:30 AM
Emily Mathieu
Staff Reporter
A Toronto bike shop owner is now facing more than 60 charges after a brazen daylight theft led police to a massive stash of stolen bicycles stockpiled at several locations across the city.
Over a period of five days, police recovered between 1,200 and 1,500 bicycles, as well as about 1.5 kilos of marijuana and several ounces of crack cocaine, in a store, residence and several garages while executing a series of search warrants.
Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic at 927 Queen St. W., was arrested last Wednesday after police officers said they witnessed a man directing another person to use bolt cutters to remove the locks off two bikes in front of his store.
Police allege Kenk was paying people to bring him stolen bikes.
"Just from the volume of the bikes it would have to be an operation that was going on for a long time," Det.-Sgt. Egidio Roseto said yesterday.
The seizures may not be over yet. Anyone who might have rented a garage to Kenk is being urged to call police.
Search warrants were executed yesterday and Roseto said new tips are being investigated.
Kenk, 49, was arrested by officers investigating the theft of more than 95 bikes in and around the Queen St. W. and Bathurst St. area over a six-week period.
Police were setting up a bait bike on Queen St. W. when they caught sight of a man directing someone to cut locks off two bikes at about 3 p.m., Roseto said.
The man paid the person with the bolt cutters for the first bike before pointing to a second bike he wanted cut loose and brought into a shop, Roseto added.
Roseto said police had previously recovered stolen property from Kenk's shop, but Kenk was not charged.
Roseto said that plainclothes officers investigating complaints over the years found the store in such a state of chaos that it was impossible to identify a stolen bike.
Word of Kenk's arrest and the recovery of the bikes spread fast through the cycling community. Some are asking how anyone could amass so many stolen bicycles without police intervention.
"Basically we had to have evidence. Once we had evidence from the theft that we witnessed, we went in."
"When we were taking bikes out of his place we had people cheering," Roseto said.
The public was invited yesterday to bring proof of ownership, a receipt, photo of themselves with the bike or serial number, to help identify about 220 recovered bikes at the Toronto Police Central Garage at 9 Hanna Ave., near King St. W. and Dufferin St. The bikes will be on display until 1 p.m. today.
The rest of the bikes – lying in giant tangled piles – still have to be sorted and will be made available to the public for identification shortly, police said.
Grant Downey was reconnected with a bike stolen from his east-end condominium in August 2005.
"When I saw the bike my heart rate was beating faster than any training ride I've been on. I was just jumping up and down," he said.
After the theft of his green and chrome bike in 2005, Downey said guys at a local bike shop told him to look in Kenk's shop.
Downey said he described the bike – which he says is rare and worth about $3,000 today – to Kenk and asked to look inside his shop but was told he couldn't go inside.
Downey said he sneaked in while Kenk was distracted by a customer. "It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You couldn't find anything in there."
He said it was not uncommon for Kenk's shop to be open as late as 11 p.m.
"Being a member of the biking community I do raise an eyebrow when I see that many bikes," Downey said.
"I don't expect them to send out a SWAT team to find my bike," he said.
He said police did a good job recovering the bikes but expressed surprise that what appeared to be a well-known operation was able to carry on for as many years as it did.
"It's nice that he's finally shut down, but it should have happened years ago," said Keith MacDonald, 42, a mechanic at Cycle Solutions on Parliament St.
MacDonald said the value of modern bicycles qualifies the loss of one as a major theft, but several people he knows have only been frustrated when reporting the crime.
"To the police, a bike is a toy," he complained, "and regardless of the fact it's $7,000, it's not worth their time."
END REPOST
07-22-08, 08:39 AM
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This story continues to be all kinds of awesome. It's great to read about people getting back bikes stolen years ago 
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07-23-08, 07:09 PM
#16
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Update
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/465528
REPOST
Owners slow to show up as stolen bikes sorted
AARON LYNETT/TORONTO STAR
Saharla Ali, a member of the Youth in Policing Initiative, notes the serial number, make and model of one of 1,200 to 1,500 apparently stolen bicycles being sorted at the Toronto Police Central Garage on Hanna Ave., July 22, 2008. Email story
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Jul 23, 2008 04:30 AM
Emily Mathieu
Staff Reporter
The rescued bike released the kind of high-pitched sound that could curl your toes and send shivers down your spine.
"It's so old," said David Ngo as he struggled to manoeuvre the red Schwinn cruiser across the floor of Toronto Police Central Garage at 9 Hanna Ave. The rust covering the frame and gears kept the bike from moving without considerable force and left a fine red trail in its wake.
Ngo is a member of the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI), a group of paid teens who work with police over a period of eight weeks, typically during the summer months.
About 35 "Yipis" were called in yesterday to sort and tag 1,200 to 1,500 bikes stored at the garage before loading them into trucks to be shipped to another storage site.
The bikes were recovered after Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic on Queen St. W., was arrested last Wednesday. Police followed up with a massive seizure of hundreds of apparently stolen bikes, resulting in more than 60 charges.
"I'm actually surprised there are so many bikes," said Ngo.
It's not over yet. The investigation continues as a steady stream of tips comes in to Crime Stoppers, and more bikes are expected to be recovered, police said. Anyone who rented garage space to Kenk is being asked to contact police.
On Monday, about 220 bikes were on display and people were encouraged to bring proof of ownership – a receipt, photo of themselves with the bike or serial number – to claim their bike.
"We are not getting much back," said Supt. Ruth White as she sorted bikes.
Yesterday, four bikes were reconnected with their owners, she said.
"The officers were saying they were disheartened to find so few," owners she said, adding it's not too late to register your stolen bike at www.torontopolice.on.ca/bike/.
White expects the rest of the bikes to be available for public viewing on Friday or Saturday and hoped to make an announcement about the time and location today.
When asked about a possible ring involved, White said at this point the focus of the investigation remains on Kenk.
At the warehouse, Saharla Ali, 17, was on the books. Ali's role was taking down serial numbers and the make and model of each bike. It took her about five hours to log the information for about 300 bikes.
Earlier in the day, the warehouse was incredibly cramped, with only one narrow area for the Yipis to walk, she said. In between taking down numbers, Ali rhymed off the names of medium to high-end bikes she'd watched being pulled from the tangled mess. "I've been doing it a lot, so now I know."
END REPOST
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/465528
REPOST
Owners slow to show up as stolen bikes sorted
AARON LYNETT/TORONTO STAR
Saharla Ali, a member of the Youth in Policing Initiative, notes the serial number, make and model of one of 1,200 to 1,500 apparently stolen bicycles being sorted at the Toronto Police Central Garage on Hanna Ave., July 22, 2008. Email story
Choose text size
Report typo or correction
License this article
Jul 23, 2008 04:30 AM
Emily Mathieu
Staff Reporter
The rescued bike released the kind of high-pitched sound that could curl your toes and send shivers down your spine.
"It's so old," said David Ngo as he struggled to manoeuvre the red Schwinn cruiser across the floor of Toronto Police Central Garage at 9 Hanna Ave. The rust covering the frame and gears kept the bike from moving without considerable force and left a fine red trail in its wake.
Ngo is a member of the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI), a group of paid teens who work with police over a period of eight weeks, typically during the summer months.
About 35 "Yipis" were called in yesterday to sort and tag 1,200 to 1,500 bikes stored at the garage before loading them into trucks to be shipped to another storage site.
The bikes were recovered after Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic on Queen St. W., was arrested last Wednesday. Police followed up with a massive seizure of hundreds of apparently stolen bikes, resulting in more than 60 charges.
"I'm actually surprised there are so many bikes," said Ngo.
It's not over yet. The investigation continues as a steady stream of tips comes in to Crime Stoppers, and more bikes are expected to be recovered, police said. Anyone who rented garage space to Kenk is being asked to contact police.
On Monday, about 220 bikes were on display and people were encouraged to bring proof of ownership – a receipt, photo of themselves with the bike or serial number – to claim their bike.
"We are not getting much back," said Supt. Ruth White as she sorted bikes.
Yesterday, four bikes were reconnected with their owners, she said.
"The officers were saying they were disheartened to find so few," owners she said, adding it's not too late to register your stolen bike at www.torontopolice.on.ca/bike/.
White expects the rest of the bikes to be available for public viewing on Friday or Saturday and hoped to make an announcement about the time and location today.
When asked about a possible ring involved, White said at this point the focus of the investigation remains on Kenk.
At the warehouse, Saharla Ali, 17, was on the books. Ali's role was taking down serial numbers and the make and model of each bike. It took her about five hours to log the information for about 300 bikes.
Earlier in the day, the warehouse was incredibly cramped, with only one narrow area for the Yipis to walk, she said. In between taking down numbers, Ali rhymed off the names of medium to high-end bikes she'd watched being pulled from the tangled mess. "I've been doing it a lot, so now I know."
END REPOST
07-23-08, 07:11 PM
#17
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It just keeps getting better.
07-23-08, 07:14 PM
#18
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Update
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/466028
REPOST
Bike raids expand to three more garages
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Bike theft tally tops 1,200 Police line up battered wheels for cyclists Bikes reclaimed after arrests Jul 23, 2008 02:23 PM
Dan Robson
Staff Reporter
Three more garages were raided in the downtown core today, with police adding to the pile of stolen bikes recovered this week through an investigation into a massive theft ring.
So far, police have processed more than 2,000 stolen bikes, not including those seized in the searches earlier today.
Some of those bikes have been returned to their owners through a weekend open house displaying the recovered goods.
The investigation began last week, after police say they witnessed two men stealing a bike on Queen St. W.
This led to raids centred on The Bicycle Clinic, a second-hand bike store on Queen St. W. near Strachan Ave.
Over the next few days, police raided at least three locations, including the home of Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic, and a storage facility.
Kenk, 49, and Jean Laveau, 47, were both arrested and charged with several theft-related offences.
Yesterday, Kenk's wife, Jeanie Chung, 37, was also arrested in connection with the alleged thefts.
Along with charges for theft, she has also been charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Chung is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
END REPOST
Source: The Star
URL: https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/466028
REPOST
Bike raids expand to three more garages
Email story
Choose text size
Report typo or correction
Bike theft tally tops 1,200 Police line up battered wheels for cyclists Bikes reclaimed after arrests Jul 23, 2008 02:23 PM
Dan Robson
Staff Reporter
Three more garages were raided in the downtown core today, with police adding to the pile of stolen bikes recovered this week through an investigation into a massive theft ring.
So far, police have processed more than 2,000 stolen bikes, not including those seized in the searches earlier today.
Some of those bikes have been returned to their owners through a weekend open house displaying the recovered goods.
The investigation began last week, after police say they witnessed two men stealing a bike on Queen St. W.
This led to raids centred on The Bicycle Clinic, a second-hand bike store on Queen St. W. near Strachan Ave.
Over the next few days, police raided at least three locations, including the home of Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic, and a storage facility.
Kenk, 49, and Jean Laveau, 47, were both arrested and charged with several theft-related offences.
Yesterday, Kenk's wife, Jeanie Chung, 37, was also arrested in connection with the alleged thefts.
Along with charges for theft, she has also been charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Chung is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
END REPOST
07-23-08, 07:14 PM
#19
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Any downtowners going to show up at the court thing to see how it unfolds and perhaps get some photos for everyone else?
07-23-08, 07:21 PM
#20
danke
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I think Mr C's cycle here in brooklyn steals bikes as well. I went there once and i saw a white van pull over outside the store. A guy opens the side door and hands over 2 bikes to one of the workers from the store. I had a quick peek inside the white van which had power tools and bolt cutters... Outside of their shop, they have a large selection of used bikes for sale. I didn't get great service from these people, and that conspicuous van didn't help either.
07-23-08, 07:40 PM
#21
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I think Mr C's cycle here in brooklyn steals bikes as well. I went there once and i saw a white van pull over outside the store. A guy opens the side door and hands over 2 bikes to one of the workers from the store. I had a quick peek inside the white van which had power tools and bolt cutters... Outside of their shop, they have a large selection of used bikes for sale. I didn't get great service from these people, and that conspicuous van didn't help either.
07-23-08, 07:41 PM
#22
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BTW anyone happen to have an image of Igors shop? I've heard of the store name before but never been around the area so I don't know how it looks like. A pre or post police image would help.
07-23-08, 07:47 PM
#23
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See the videos I posted links to, maybe you can get a still from those.
__________________
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Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
07-23-08, 07:50 PM
#24
Prefers Cicero
07-23-08, 10:28 PM
#25
danke
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