The spoils of a series of police raids are on display at two downtown warehouses where rides ranging from expensive mountain bikes to kids tricycles can be claimed by their rightful owners.
Authorities seized about 3,000 bicycles from storage units around the downtown core - the latest cycle cache was discovered this week at a garage on Pacific Avenue - following the arrest of a well-known bike store owner and a second man last week who were allegedly caught in a police
bike bait sting.
A third suspect was picked up and charged on Wednesday.
Due to the huge amount of allegedly stolen goods recovered - a number that even surprised veteran officer Toronto Police Supt. Ruth White - police decided to launch the Bicycle Recovery Program that will run until Thursday at two locations.
Many happy locals have already been reunited with their wheels.
"I was kind of surprised (to find it)," said one happy cyclist. " It was my boyfriend's bike, and he got it and it was stolen. We watched the guy steal it. We were living on
Queen Street
at the time."
"It's a very emotional reuniting of a lost friend," another remarked.
You can check to see if your ride was among the hundreds collected by cops at either
35 Strachan Ave., where some 1,800 bikes are on display, or at
30 Ordnance St. , where an additional 1,400 bikes are being stored, at the following times:
- Friday, July 25 until 8 pm,
- Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27: 10 am to 6 pm,
- Monday, July 28 to Thursday, July 31: noon to 8 pm
You'll need to show identification and proof of ownership to get your bike back. Officials will also be on hand if you'd like to register your bike.
"The best identification we look for are sales receipts with serial numbers and proof of purchase," White explained Friday. "If you do not have that, we encourage you to bring photographs with you of your bicycles that can positively identify your bicycle."
If you can't pull together that kind of proof, police are willing to accept a sworn affidavit.
Igor Kenk, 49, and Jean Laveau, 47, are facing bike theft charges. Jeannie Chung, 37, was also arrested in connection to this case and is facing drug-related charges.
Bike theft prevention and registration
Bike theft prevention tips: City of Toronto