Chop shop problem on the downswing after Pottery Street bust

15 whole bikes and a number of bike parts were recovered from the residence.

A second operation appeared to be disrupted by police in the same month, according to information enclosed in the latest police commission report published in September.

“Another chop shop operating on 11 St. SE, has since closed down,” reads the commission report.

“Bike thefts have dropped in the City of Medicine Hat. If bike theft rates increase, another enforcement operation will commence.”

Kesler believes the impact has been strong on the bike theft networks in the city.

“We’re aware that there has been other bike chop shops operating in the city,” said Kesler.

“We believe that as a result of that one (Pottery), it certainly had a positive impact on the community, and the amount of bikes that were being reported stolen.”

As for why the Pottery Street operation became so prolific, Kesler attributed it to a lack of reports about stolen bicycles.

“I think a lot of times people might believe the police don’t care when bikes get stolen, but when you look at the amount of bicycles that get stolen in any community, in any year, that value can be in the hundreds and thousands of dollars,” said Kesler.

“So, I think occasionally there might be public apathy, in thinking that police don’t really care, or care to be aware of it. But, in this case, if we don’t know which crimes are occurring, and people don’t report it, it’s really hard for us to get a gauge on criminal activity in the community.”

As for the Pottery Street chop shop being tied to possible drug use at the same residence, Kesler couldn’t say. However, he did say there was “no doubt” that drugs are a driver for crime in Medicine Hat.

“To link it to that, I just can’t say that,” said Kesler.

“Each individual investigation has unique characteristics. In some cases, there are crimes like this that are linked to the drug trade. This could be simply a for-profit business, and in speaking to some of our partners in other communities, they’ve experienced the same thing in other cities as well.”

He wasn’t aware of any arrests linked to bike theft or chop shops, beyond Fisher’s, though he did have a message for residents concerned about their own property.

“People have to take pro-active steps to prevent thefts from occurring,” said Kesler.

“Sadly, locks only keep an honest person honest, and whatever steps a person can make to reduce the theft from occurring certainly helps them, and impacts their personal life.”

Kesler also didn’t know how many residents had been re-connected with their property after the Pottery bust, but had seen a number of people coming to the station to check for their possessions. Calls to the station about stolen bikes had spiked, after the bust.

“You’ll see them at our gates, taking a look to see if they can find their bikes,” said Kesler.

“The biggest challenge with some of that is the frames and a lot of the accessories have been mismatched and cannibalized. You might have forks from one bike moved onto the frame of the other, and then re-painted, sadly de-valuing bikes that are worth thousands of dollars.”

Fischer’s trial is scheduled to take place on January 30, 2018 at Medicine Hat provincial court.

He is charged with possession of stolen property and trafficking in stolen property, and has pleaded not guilty.

by James Wood

Chop shop problem on the downswing after Pottery Street bust

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