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Edmonton police recovered 83 stolen bikes in a recent investigation and are urging cyclists to be diligent in preventing bike theft.

Jimmy Markortoff, 57, has been charged with two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000 with additional charges pending, police said in a news release Thursday morning.

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Many of the bikes and parts have been reunited with their owners after they were found in a south side residence, the release said.

Owners are only able to reclaim their bikes if they can provide investigators with the serial number, currently amounting to 24 per cent of the inventory obtained by police. About 25 to 30 bicycles are recovered each week, the news release said.

The city and police service are launching a new bike theft campaign to remind residents to keep track of their bike details in order to reclaim their bike if it is stolen. Owners must provide police with a copy of the police report or file number, photo identification, the bike serial number and a detailed description of the bike. Cyclists should always record bike serial numbers and are also encouraged to take a photograph of their bikes.

“The high incidence of bike theft is especially frustrating and demoralizing in light of our efforts on the downtown bikes lanes,” Ward 6 city Coun. Scott McKeen said in the news release.

Police are reminding cyclists to always lock up bikes with high-quality U-locks to prevent theft.

Photo by Edmonton Police

duscook@postmedia.com