A veteran, high-ranking York Regional Police officer accused of driving through a pedestrian crosswalk at last year’s Santa Claus parade in Innisfil, Ont., appears headed for trial. Laurie Perks, 54, had trial dates set for next June in Bradford, charged with dangerous driving during the annual parade along Innisfil Beach Road. South Simcoe police allege Perks, who has been a police officer for nearly 30 years, was behind the wheel of a grey Audi SUV that witnesses said hopped the curb and drove through a trail and crosswalk behind a plaza after being prevented from driving through the parade route last November. Witnesses told police the Audi left the plaza parking lot along Innisfil Beach Road, before travelling through the pedestrian walkway to find a way around the parade that had blocked access to the main road and surrounding streets that afternoon. Police started looking for the mystery driver, releasing several photos and a description of the vehicle seen driving erratically. Days later it was revealed a senior officer from York Regional Police had been charged. Perks climbed the ranks for more than two decades with York police, working for years as a media officer, then detective and now staff sergeant. About 12 years ago, while working as a supervisor, Perks found herself as a respondent following a workplace harassment complaint that ultimately found Perks engaged in name calling and made derogatory comments about one of her female officers whom she suspected had called in sick from work to travel to Jamaica. An investigation into her conduct found Perks went as far as calling Pearson International Airport and Canada Border Services to find out whether the female officer had flown to Jamaica. Despite learning her suspicions were mistaken, an investigation found Perks provided incorrect information to York Regional Police management claiming the officer had travelled to Jamaica, when in fact she had not. Perks received no formal discipline and was subsequently promoted to staff sergeant. Court records obtained by CTV News revealed Perks was charged two years ago with failing to remain at the scene of a crash in Innisfil. The charge was withdrawn a year later. The accused is scheduled to return to a Bradford courtroom early in the new year. The allegations against her have not been tested in court.
