He says he did the detective work for them — but London police didn't act on this stolen bike

A London, Ont., man says despite finding his own stolen bike for sale online, and sharing the name, phone number and address of the suspect with the London Police Service, officers failed to immediately act because of  "a massive problem with resources and manpower."  

Ahmad Azizov said he bought his $700 Giant Talon bike to get to and from his job as a surgery resident at London Health Sciences Centre's Victoria campus. It was stolen on Aug. 9 from a secure locker at the hospital and he reported the theft to police the next day. 

While Azizov is not a detective, he believes that based on the way the bike was stolen, it was the act of a professional. 

"It was clear to me it was cut with power tools," he said of the $150, three-kilogram lock the thief sawed off to get at Azizov's ride. "It was cut through like butter."

CBC News contacted the hospital about the security of its bike locker, but a spokesperson did not return the request for comment before publication time. 

Man says 'I could tell' through subtle clues

From the time of the theft, Azizov has kept his eye on ads for bikes for sale online and sure enough, on Friday night, a bike that looked remarkably similar to his appeared for sale on Kijiji from a seller in London's Pond Mills neighbourhood. 

"I was like, 'That really looks like my bike.' I had a scratch on the left side of the bike and this scratch was identical," he said, adding the bike appeared as if a few parts were removed, such as a kickstand and lights.

"When you put something on a bike when it's new and then you take it off a couple months later, there's a shiny piece of metal there. So I could tell," he said.

"I had a fender on the front that had broken off. It would be very interesting for someone to just attach a fender holder." 

Azizov said the suspected thief listed his phone number on the posting, so he looked it up online using a reverse search directory. The address matched the phone number and the seller's user name on Kijiji. 

Then Azizov found the suspect's social media accounts, giving him access to the suspect's pictures and an address. 

"As I was gathering this information, I was sending it to London police," Azizov said. "They said they would send someone over in a couple of days. I tried to explain to them that this person is trying to sell this ASAP."

The police didn't act immediately and by Sunday, the seller told Azizov the bike had been sold.  

Azizov said his bike has been registered with the London Police Service bike registry. 

Police won't say why officers didn't act, emails offer clues

CBC News contacted the London Police Service on Monday. A spokesperson, Const. Sandasha Bough, would only say in an email that the investigation is "currently ongoing." 

There is a massive problem with resources and manpower with the London Police Service.- Const. Randi Carey, London Police Service

"We don't have any additional information to share at this time, as this is an active investigation," she wrote. 

While police aren't speaking officially, emails exchanged between Azizov and the London Police Service do offer some unofficial clues as to what police are thinking. 

"There are over 120 calls for waiting to be serviced and this is a lower priority call as no one's safety is at risk. Unfortunately, it will likely take days for this call to be serviced," Const. Randi Carey wrote in an email dated Sept. 11 in an exchange with Azizov that was obtained and reviewed by CBC News. 

"There is a massive problem with resources and manpower with the London Police Service."

Chief Steve Williams got approval in May to add 52 new front-line police constables to its force in order to address longer response times. At the time, he explained there has been an unprecedented demand for service and more complex investigations.

Officer explains 'chronic' bike thefts

In the email exchange, the officer wrote the courts system often fails to hold people accountable for their actions.

"Most people are released from custody despite police requesting that they remain in custody," Carey wrote to Azizov. 

"Once someone is charged, it is entirely up to the courts as to how that is dealt with/convictions/sentencing." 

The officer recommended Azizov, and anyone who is dissatisfied with police response time, call the city to issue a formal complaint.

"They will only (hopefully) make positive changes if they truly understand what's going on and how it's affecting taxpaying citizens of this city."