Police 'astonished' as number of stolen bikes recovered passes 2,000

Police expressed shock over the number of stolen bicycles they have recovered  — well over 2,000 — as part of an investigation in Toronto that continued Wednesday with search warrants executed at three west-end locations.

"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." 

White was referring to Igor Kenk, 49, the owner of The Bicycle Clinic at 927 Queen St. W., who is facing 60 charges in connection with the raids.

Police allege that by arresting Kenk last week, they busted one of the biggest stolen bike rings in the city's history.

Kenk was taken into custody on July 16, after police alleged they saw him directing  a man with bolt cutters to steal a bike left by police as bait.

Plainclothes officers made the arrest after allegedly observing another man, Jean Laveau, 47, cutting the locks off two bicycles near Trinity-Bellwoods Park.

Laveau is also facing charges.

"Timing is everything," said the superintendent. "There have been many accusations made [about] this individual.  It is very difficult sometimes to prove that a crime has been commited and it was the hard work of my 14 Division officers that set up the project of bait bicycle, so, timing." 

Kenk will be in court on Friday where he is expected to enter a plea.  

Police also say their raids show the thieves would steal anything with wheels, even from little children.

"I've got tricycles [from children] who are less than five years who could ride them, to the high-end bicycles, to mid-size bicycles, to bicycles that are worth thousands of dollars," said White. 

Garages rented by suspect, police allege

On Wednesday, police updated the media while they were executing the search warrants at 54 Elm Grove Ave., 30 High Park Blvd. and 14 Palmerston Ave.

White said the High Park location had yielded another 230 bikes.

Police allege all of the locations were garages being rented by Kenk. The Elm Grove location was being rented for $500 per month. 

"I cannot tell you how many bicycles will be found in this garage, at this time," said White, indicating the Elm Grove location behind her.

But while police are discovering thousands of stolen bicycles, returning them to their owners is proving to be difficult.

"At this time we have returned 55 bicycles to their owners," said White.  Only 18 of those 55 owners had reported their bikes stolen.

"Please register your bicycles," said White.  "Nine hundred bicycles are turned in a year to the Toronto Police Service, and we have no way of getting them back to their owners if they do not register them or they do not report them stolen."

Toronto police figures show 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. But police say the numbers don't even come close to the real figures because most people don't register their bikes, and owners seldom report the crime.

The other problem for police is finding a space large enough to display the recovered bikes. 

"We will let you know as soon as possible when those bicycles are available to be displayed in the appropriate fashion," said White.  "Hopefully, it will be no later than Saturday."

As for whether the raids are over, White wouldn't say. 

"That depends on the public coming forward and any further Crime Stoppers tips."