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Post: Time to import N.Y. bike culture?
For people with a car-based mentality, adjusting to alternatives is a slow and, in Mr. Budnick's words, a scary process. "In civics, change is the scariest thing," he says. "If I were to write a horror movie, I would call it Change."
CityNews: Police Launch Bike Recovery Program Following Raids
35 Strachan Ave., or at 30 Ordnance Street at the following times:
* Friday, July 25, 2008: noon to 8 pm,
* Saturday, July 26, 2008 and Sunday, July 27, 2008: 10 am to 6 pm,
* Monday, July 28, 2008 to Thursday, July 31, 2008: noon to 8 pm
Star: Another chance to get your bike back
While Igor Kenk, accused in a massive series of bike thefts, appears at a bail hearing today, bike-theft victims can go claim their stolen wheels. 3,000 recovered bikes will be on display from noon today at the 45 Strachan Ave. police garage.
Labels: news
Happy Friday everyone!
Friday's the day BikingToronto wraps up all the bikey news from the last week and puts it all in a nice little package for your easy digestion. STILL huge in the news this week is the whole issue of bike theft. Also, if you don't know, you can post about your stolen bike on the BikingToronto Community (which has a contest running now that you can get in on).
- Stolen Bike Recovery Program - 3000+ Bikes on Display!The stolen bicycle numbers from the Igor Kenk bust keep going up and up. The latest reports have the numbers exceeding 3000 bicycles, and Toronto Police have set them up in two locations so Torontonians can check them out and hopefully find their long lost two-wheeled friends:
- Toronto Police may have your Stolen Bike!From the Toronto Police, who just busted Igor Kenk and his Stolen Bicycle Racket: Stolen Recovered Bicycles from 927 Queen St W and other storage units... please pass along to your bicycle networks.. Public Viewing Monday July 21, 2008 10am-6pm - 9 Hanna Ave, Toronto More public viewing to be…
Spacing Wire: The Igor effect
Then came the really dramatic turn of events — police discovered he had several warehouses full of bikes around the city. Which means it wasn’t simply a case of go to Igor’s and find your bike if he had it — he had caches where he could hide bikes
EYE Weekly: To catch a thief
Cyclists develop relationships with their bikes, tune them up and learn their quirks and — as we were reminded at the Toronto Cyclists Union’s recent screening of the epic film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure — become quite attached to them.
NOW Magazine: Wheels of change
Does big seizure mean that cops now take cyclists more seriously?
Globe: Bike-theft saga takes a turn toward the strange
Toronto's stolen-bicycle saga led police into three more secluded garages crammed with bikes yesterday, and took a turn for the bizarre as an accomplished concert pianist became the third person charged in the case.
Star: 1,000 more bikes seized
Another thousand bicycles – ranging from $3,000 LeMond racing bikes to kids' tricycles and a scooter for a disabled rider – were recovered from rented garages yesterday after police executed three more raids across the west downtown.
CTV: Bike theft suspect a 'sweet' and talented pianist
Jeanie Chung works at The Glenn Gould School where she is an accomplished pianist. The woman is romantically involved with Igor Kenk, who is accused of masterminding the largest bike theft operation in Toronto history.
BlogTO: More Stolen Bikes Uncovered in Parkdale Garage
"The garage had been rented out since March 2008. It's owned by a numbered company. "The guy who rented it out came forward and gave us a statement. A total of eight search warrants were issued since Thursday's raid on Kenk's bike shop."
North Bay Nugget: Toronto may register bikes with police
An anti-theft plan that would see bikes automatically registered with police when purchased could be in place by next year, the chairman of the Toronto Cycling Committee says. The city is scrambling to keep up with an explosion in cycling.
CTV: Police find another stash of bikes in theft probe
A third person has been arrested as part of the bike theft investigation. Police said Wednesday that a 37-year-old woman was taken into custody.
Toronto Police: Wanted - owners of 1,500 bicycles
“Thefts would go down drastically if everyone registered their bicycle,” said Major Crime Unit Det. Izzy Bernardo. “We stop known thieves all the time with different bikes and run the serial numbers but the bikes never show up as stolen on the syste
InsideToronto: More than 2,000 stolen bikes, parts now recovered
Because of the significant quantity, police are looking to relocate the massive cache to a larger warehouse nearby. Visit www.torontopolice.on.ca for further details. Owners of the stolen bicycles must provide proof of ownership.
CBC: Police 'astonished' as number of stolen bikes recovered passes...
"I'm astonished," Supt. Ruth White told reporters outside a garage where police were executing one of the warrants in the morning. "I've never seen this in 30 years, that allegedly one individual can accumulate this many bicycles over this many years."
Star: Owners slow to show up as stolen bikes sorted
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.
CityNews: Bikes Return To Rightful Owners After Raid
A police raid on a west end bike shop has led to a pleasant surprise for several GTA residents reunited with their allegedly stolen rides after a sting operation at the Bicycle Clinic.
CTV: Police seize thousands of bikes in Toronto
The latest cache of more than 200 bicycles was discovered on Dovercourt Road in the city's west end. Police spent a part of Monday afternoon at the scene executing a search warrant. They expect to make more seizures in the weeks to come.
Reuters: Wanted - owners for 1,500 stolen Toronto bicycles
Toronto cyclists often describe their city as one of the bike theft capitals of North America, if not the world. But figures from lockmaker Kryptonite, says Toronto, unlike Philadelphia, Chicago and New York, is not even in North America's Top 10.
CBC: Recovered hoard of bicycles overwhelms police facilities
Police said they've busted one of the biggest stolen bike rings in city history and are asking for the public's help to provide any information about other places Kenk may have rented for storage space.
Sun: 200 more bikes seized
Kenk, who owns the Bicycle Clinic, was sent back to the Don Jail after court ruled more time was needed to allow for cops to lay charges in connection with the recent raids on four locations including Kenk's shop and the Yorkville home he lived at.
Post: Bike theft victims scour police trove
"I'm not aware of any bicycle seizures in the last 28 years that are as great as this," said Detective Sergeant Egidio Roseto. "It's an enormous number of bikes that we've taken from some storage locations."
Globe: Police recover stolen bikes by the hundreds
Superintendent Ruth White said she hasn't seen anything like it in 30 years of policing. "We had a woman identify her bike that was stolen eight years ago," she said, adding that about 70 owners had so far been reunited with their wheels.
Star: Bike theft tally tops 1,200
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.
BlogTO: Recovered Bikes Find Rightful Owners
"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. More than 50 bicycles have so far been identified and returned to their rightful owners.
Sun: More bikes recovered
One by one, vintage cruisers and high-end racing bikes were brought out over the course of an hour from the back garage, which was riddled with garbage bags and tires -- filling four police cargo trucks.
Sun: Wheels of good fortune pay off
An 18-month-old girl was one of the happiest riders yesterday after Toronto Police opened their garage doors to reunite cyclists with their stolen bikes.
Star: Police line up battered wheels for cyclists
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.
Sun: Police bait bike draws in panhandler
The 40-year-old homeless man with a long rap sheet was nabbed by police who allege he stole a so-called "bait bike" in front of the LCBO on Spadina Ave. in full view of plain-clothes officers.
Sun: A bonanza of bikes
"It's made my day, this seriously has made my day!" said cyclist Navid Taslimi, 36. "It's about time."
The stolen bicycle numbers from the Igor Kenk bust keep going up and up.
The latest reports have the numbers exceeding 3000 bicycles, and Toronto Police have set them up in two locations so Torontonians can check them out and hopefully find their long lost two-wheeled friends:
You can check to see if your ride was among the hundreds collected by cops at either 35 Strachan Ave., or at 30 Ordnance Street at the following times:Tons of news articles about this are linked on the News page, and there's a discussion thread over on the Community too! :) Good luck finding your bike!
Friday, July 25: noon to 8 pm
Saturday, July 26: 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, July 27: 10 am to 6 pm
Monday, July 28: noon to 8 pm
Tuesday, July 29: noon to 8 pm
Wednesday, July 30: noon to 8 pm
Thursday, July 31: noon to 8 pm
[photo from Eye Weekly]
| Then came the really dramatic turn of events — police discovered he had several warehouses full of bikes around the city. Which means it wasn't simply a case of go to Igor's and find your bike if he had it — he had caches where he could hide bikes |
| Cyclists develop relationships with their bikes, tune them up and learn their quirks and — as we were reminded at the Toronto Cyclists Union's recent screening of the epic film Pee-wee's Big Adventure — become quite attached to them. |
| NOW Magazine: Wheels of change Does big seizure mean that cops now take cyclists more seriously? |
| Globe: Bike-theft saga takes a turn toward the strange Toronto's stolen-bicycle saga led police into three more secluded garages crammed with bikes yesterday, and took a turn for the bizarre as an accomplished concert pianist became the third person charged in the case. |
| Another thousand bicycles – ranging from $3,000 LeMond racing bikes to kids' tricycles and a scooter for a disabled rider – were recovered from rented garages yesterday after police executed three more raids across the west downtown. |
| CTV: Bike theft suspect a 'sweet' and talented pianist Jeanie Chung works at The Glenn Gould School where she is an accomplished pianist. The woman is romantically involved with Igor Kenk, who is accused of masterminding the largest bike theft operation in Toronto history. |
| Jimmy Vuong, a cyclist and rider of the 506 Carlton route, approves of the bike lanes along parts of College Street "except for the frequent incidents of bikers speeding past open streetcar doors in disregard for TTC riders entering and exiting." |
| BlogTO: More Stolen Bikes Uncovered in Parkdale Garage "The garage had been rented out since March 2008. It's owned by a numbered company. "The guy who rented it out came forward and gave us a statement. A total of eight search warrants were issued since Thursday's raid on Kenk's bike shop." |
Labels: news
North Bay Nugget: Toronto may register bikes with police An anti-theft plan that would see bikes automatically registered with police when purchased could be in place by next year, the chairman of the Toronto Cycling Committee says. The city is scrambling to keep up with an explosion in cycling. |
CTV: Police find another stash of bikes in theft probe A third person has been arrested as part of the bike theft investigation. Police said Wednesday that a 37-year-old woman was taken into custody. |
Toronto Police: Wanted - owners of 1,500 bicycles "Thefts would go down drastically if everyone registered their bicycle," said Major Crime Unit Det. Izzy Bernardo. "We stop known thieves all the time with different bikes and run the serial numbers but the bikes never show up as stolen on the syste |
InsideToronto: More than 2,000 stolen bikes, parts now recovered Because of the significant quantity, police are looking to relocate the massive cache to a larger warehouse nearby. Visit www.torontopolice.on.ca for further details. Owners of the stolen bicycles must provide proof of ownership. |
CBC: Police 'astonished' as number of stolen bikes recovered passes 2,000 "I'm astonished," Supt. Ruth White told reporters outside a garage where police were executing one of the warrants in the morning. "I've never seen this in 30 years, that allegedly one individual can accumulate this many bicycles over this many years." |
Star: Bike advocates riled by lack of lanes in Bloor St. redesign The lack of bike lanes in the redesign of Bloor St. from Church St. to Avenue Rd. flies in the face of provincial planning policies that compel cities to consider the safety of cyclists and ways of reducing traffic congestion and pollution. |
Star: Owners slow to show up as stolen bikes sorted 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. |
CityNews: Bikes Return To Rightful Owners After Raid A police raid on a west end bike shop has led to a pleasant surprise for several GTA residents reunited with their allegedly stolen rides after a sting operation at the Bicycle Clinic. |
CTV: Police seize thousands of bikes in Toronto The latest cache of more than 200 bicycles was discovered on Dovercourt Road in the city's west end. Police spent a part of Monday afternoon at the scene executing a search warrant. They expect to make more seizures in the weeks to come. |
Reuters: Wanted - owners for 1,500 stolen Toronto bicycles Toronto cyclists often describe their city as one of the bike theft capitals of North America, if not the world. But figures from lockmaker Kryptonite, says Toronto, unlike Philadelphia, Chicago and New York, is not even in North America's Top 10. |
Check out more News Headlines on the improved News page - complete with fancy RSS and mailing lists - let the news come to you!
Labels: news
| CBC: Recovered hoard of bicycles overwhelms police facilities Police said they've busted one of the biggest stolen bike rings in city history and are asking for the public's help to provide any information about other places Kenk may have rented for storage space. |
| "They want to have a bike that's not only very practical but has a sense of urbane sophistication; and then of course a bag to go with that is just rather obvious," |
| Globe: Bike culture rolls into the mainstream It is becoming increasingly difficult to love my fellow cyclists, who are now so empowered by their environmental correctness that they have begun to proclaim their own (naturally superior and far more fashionable) bike "culture." |
| Kenk, who owns the Bicycle Clinic, was sent back to the Don Jail after court ruled more time was needed to allow for cops to lay charges in connection with the recent raids on four locations including Kenk's shop and the Yorkville home he lived at. |
| Post: Bike theft victims scour police trove "I'm not aware of any bicycle seizures in the last 28 years that are as great as this," said Detective Sergeant Egidio Roseto. "It's an enormous number of bikes that we've taken from some storage locations." |
| Globe: Police recover stolen bikes by the hundreds Superintendent Ruth White said she hasn't seen anything like it in 30 years of policing. "We had a woman identify her bike that was stolen eight years ago," she said, adding that about 70 owners had so far been reunited with their wheels. |
| Star: Bike theft tally tops 1,200 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. |
| BlogTO: Recovered Bikes Find Rightful Owners "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. More than 50 bicycles have so far been identified and returned to their rightful owners. Check out more News Headlines on the improved News page - complete with fancy RSS and mailing lists - let the news come to you! |
Labels: news
| One by one, vintage cruisers and high-end racing bikes were brought out over the course of an hour from the back garage, which was riddled with garbage bags and tires -- filling four police cargo trucks. |
| Sun: Wheels of good fortune pay off An 18-month-old girl was one of the happiest riders yesterday after Toronto Police opened their garage doors to reunite cyclists with their stolen bikes. |
| Star: Police line up battered wheels for cyclists 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. |
| Sun: Police bait bike draws in panhandler The 40-year-old homeless man with a long rap sheet was nabbed by police who allege he stole a so-called "bait bike" in front of the LCBO on Spadina Ave. in full view of plain-clothes officers. |
| "It's made my day, this seriously has made my day!" said cyclist Navid Taslimi, 36. "It's about time." |
| Star: New Eastern Avenue bike lanes spark some four-wheel fury While we were shooting photos, a driver pulled over and launched into a sweaty rage, saying it's an "unbelievably stupid thing to do," given the traffic congestion and alternatives for cyclists. |
Labels: news
From the Toronto Police, who just busted Igor Kenk and his Stolen Bicycle Racket:
- from 927 Queen St W and other storage units...
- please pass along to your bicycle networks..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVlRB2aZ_-k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tit18nRnJaY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cchGSrwg_cQ
Facebook Group has photos posted of the volume of bikes...
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21195987216
--
Scott Mills
Toronto Crime Stoppers
Community Youth Officer
Legal Graffiti Art Coordinator
www.torontopolice.on.ca
www.222tips.com
Happy Friday everyone!
If you don't know already, Friday's the day BikingToronto wraps up all the bikey news from the last week and puts it all in a nice little package for your easy digestion. Digesting the news this way is far better for your tummy than chewing on newspapers. That's a medical fact. I checked.
Even better is that you don't even have to come to BikingToronto.com or your RSS feedreader (if you read BikingToronto that way) for your weekly wrap-up of news... you can subscribe to have a weekly email sent right to your inbox! The convenience is overwhelming.
Big in bikey news this week is the whole issue of bike theft. It's pretty prevalent in a big city like Toronto, and the cops are starting to do something about it. Also, if you don't know, you can post about your stolen bike on the BikingToronto Community (which has a contest running now that you can get in on).
- Toronto Police Bust a Bike Thief and Notorious BikeShop OwnerGood news from the streets this morning. Toronto Police set up a "bait bike" operation and two undercover officers watched Igor Kenk, the owner of the The Bicycle Clinic (notorious for selling stolen bikes) as he directed a thief with boltcutters to steal two bikes and then paid him.
- Toronto Bike Theft in the NewsBike Theft in Toronto has been in the news recently, which most of the major news outlets picking up on the fact that a ton of bikes are stolen in Toronto... with theft numbers totalling about 50,000 over the past 10 years, and 5,000 reported stolen in 2007.
Here are all the bike-related news stories in the media over the last week:
CBC: Bike store owner charged in bike theft
Both Kenk and Jean Laveau have been charged with one count of theft under $5,000, one count of attempted theft under $5,000, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime. Laveau faces an additional charge of possessing burglary tools.
BlogTO: Bike Sting Nabs Igor At His Bicycle Clinic
Aside from offering these tips and providing a bicycle registration program, Toronto cops have largely turned a blind eye to this ongoing problem in our city. Until now.
NOW Magazine: Whose lane is it anyway?
When is a bicycle no longer a bicycle? When it’s equipped with a motor, right? But it’s not that simple, as a provincial electric bike pilot project is making clear.
CityNews: Bike Theft Rampant In The City, But There Are Ways You Can Protect Yours
"If we have an individual suspected of stealing a bicycle for example, we could take the model number, the registration number on the bicycle, run it through our database and find information that it was stolen on this date and at that time."
CityNews: 'Lane Splitting' Phenomenon Worries Cops And Drivers
The act of riding a lane line on a street or highway, allowing riders of motor bikes or bicycles to use the space between traffic and move at top speed isn't legal in Ontario, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
CityNews: Almost 5,000 Bikes Reported Stolen This Year Alone In T.O.
"We do recover a lot of bicycles and the challenge for us becomes getting them back to the proper owners," said Toronto Police Const. Scott Mills. "And if it's not reported, we can't find it."
Sun: Bike thefts 'really big problem'
According to Toronto Police, more than 50,000 bikes have been reported stolen in the city since 1997. Last year alone, 4,585 bicycles were reported stolen in Toronto.
Globe: We want bike posts with A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.
The iconic structure will be made of metre-high block letters spelling "KENSINGTON" and is designed to accommodate about 25 bikes, which can be locked to posts supporting each letter.
Business is burning up at the new Duke's - thanks to oil prices
At its new location at 425 Richmond St. near Spadina, opened in April, business is booming thanks to high gas prices and the ever-growing sense of green-friendliness among Torontonians.
Star: On a tour of our greenscape
Tour de Greenbelt, a series of routes through partially protected rural land around the Golden Horseshoe, lets cyclists explore what's beyond city streets
Globe: Man hit trying to cross busy Toronto highway with bike
The man, in his 30s, tried to walk his bicycle across the northbound lane of the busy highway, said Sgt. Tim Burrows of Traffic Services. He made it across two lanes before he was hit by a red Honda convertible headed northbound
CityNews: Cyclist Survives DVP Crash, But Could Face Charges
A cyclist is lucky to be alive after he was involved in a crash in a place he should never have been - the Don Valley Parkway.
| CBC: Bike store owner charged in bike theft Both Kenk and Jean Laveau have been charged with one count of theft under $5,000, one count of attempted theft under $5,000, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime. Laveau faces an additional charge of possessing burglary tools. |
| BlogTO: Bike Sting Nabs Igor At His Bicycle Clinic Aside from offering these tips and providing a bicycle registration program, Toronto cops have largely turned a blind eye to this ongoing problem in our city. Until now. |
| NOW Magazine: Whose lane is it anyway? When is a bicycle no longer a bicycle? When it's equipped with a motor, right? But it's not that simple, as a provincial electric bike pilot project is making clear. |
Labels: news
Good news from the streets this morning. Toronto Police set up a "bait bike" operation and two undercover officers watched Igor Kenk, the owner of the The Bicycle Clinic (notorious for selling stolen bikes) as he directed a thief with boltcutters to steal two bikes and then paid him:
Igor Kenk, 49, owner of the Bicycle Clinic at Queen St. W. and Strachan Ave., was put in handcuffs just after 7 p.m. by Consts. James Rowe and Craig Meredith, who were watching the corner as part of a "bait-bike" sting.
Both Kenk and Jean Laveau are charged with one count of theft under $5,000, one count of attempted theft under $5,000, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime.
Coincidentally, officers Rowe and Meredith were part of a three-man team who yesterday planted a so-called bait bike at various high-theft locations downtown.
They had planted an unlocked bike at Queen St. W. and Strachan Ave. around 7 p.m. and were watching the corner when their attention was diverted away from the unlocked bait bike to the locked bike which was allegedly stolen.
[from the Toronto Sun]
Good timing after the recent news articles about the high levels of bike theft in Toronto.
Bike Theft in Toronto has been in the news recently, which most of the major news outlets picking up on the fact that a ton of bikes are stolen in Toronto... with theft numbers totalling about 50,000 over the past 10 years, and 5,000 reported stolen in 2007.
Note that these numbers are reported thefts. A lot of people don't bother registering their bikes with the police and just shrug their shoulders and eventually get another cheap bike.
A reminder that if your bike has been stolen recently, you can let a lot of other people know through the Stolen Bike Listing on the BikingToronto Community. Also be sure to report the theft to the police as well!
News Links:
- CityNews: Bike Theft Rampant In The City, But There Are Ways You Can Protect Yours
"If we have an individual suspected of stealing a bicycle for example, we could take the model number, the registration number on the bicycle, run it through our database and find information that it was stolen on this date and at that time." -
CityNews: Almost 5,000 Bikes Reported Stolen This Year Alone In T.O.
"We do recover a lot of bicycles and the challenge for us becomes getting them back to the proper owners," said Toronto Police Const. Scott Mills. "And if it's not reported, we can't find it."
-
Sun: Bike thefts 'really big problem'
According to Toronto Police, more than 50,000 bikes have been reported stolen in the city since 1997. Last year alone, 4,585 bicycles were reported stolen in Toronto.
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