October 29/05 10:55 am - Community Bicycle Network Bikes Stolen

Posted by Editoress on 10/29/05
 

Community Organization Victims of Massive Bicycle Theft

The Community Bicycle Network (CBN), a local non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cycling in the city of Toronto, was the victim of a massive theft of bicycles on the night of October 26th, 2005. Sixteen nearly-new bicycles, donated to the CBN by Norco Performance Bikes, were stolen from a garage near College and Bathurst only hours after they had been placed there for winter storage.

The garage was at the residence of a friend of CBN staff and, by all accounts, it seemed like a safe and secure space. However, someone managed to break into the garage through the back door and they made away with a huge asset belonging to a charitable organization.

"The fact that someone specifically targeted this garage only hours after we had finished locking our bicycles inside it suggests that this was no random act - someone either saw us or knew that the bikes were in there, and someone who knew what they were doing came back that same night and made off with one of our biggest assets quickly and efficiently. This clearly demonstrates that not only is bike theft a serious problem in the city of Toronto, but that it is being done by people who are experienced and organized. This is a heavy loss to an organization dedicated to helping the community through sustainable and affordable transportation." said Matthew Cowley, Green Fleet Coordinator, Community Bicycle Network

The CBN's funding situation is already so critical that it will be hard for them to recover from this blow. The tragic irony of the situation is that these bicycles were used as part of a program that encourages people to try cycle commuting - with this many bikes now gone, it is very discouraging to the organization and to the cycling community as a whole.

The Toronto Police are investigating the theft, but recovering the bicycles will be difficult, if indeed any are recovered at all. Anyone with information on this theft or the whereabouts of these bicycles is urged to contact the Community Bicycle Network at 416-504-2918 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.