An Off-Duty York Regional Police Officer Was Allegedly Drunk Driving & Is Facing Charges

An off-duty York Regional Police (YRP) officer was allegedly caught drunk driving this past weekend and has been suspended with pay.

A citizen reported an impaired driver headed "northbound on Yonge Street from the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury" on August 13, shortly after 9 p.m., to the South Simcoe Police Service, according to a press release.

South Simcoe police investigated the report and charged off-duty YRP officer Amanda Knegje with "dangerous operation, operation while impaired and operation while impaired — excess blood alcohol."

43-year-old Constable Knegje is a uniformed patrol officer who has been with YRP since 2020, and she has been suspended from her job with pay.

YRP Chief of Police Jim MacSween called the incident "very troubling considering the work that York Regional Police is doing to combat impaired driving."

"We continue to remind our members of their responsibility to live the values of our organization, both on and off duty," said MacSween. "York Regional Police is committed to transparency and is accountable to our community."

MacSween said that as a part of that commitment, when a member of the force is charged with a criminal offence, "That information is released to our community."

According to YRP, "Despite numerous tragedies, the number of people charged with impaired driving, whether by alcohol or drugs, continues to rise annually."

To help combat unsafe driving, YRP has several programs in place, including the "Safe Roads...Your Call" program, which "encourages motorists in York Region to call 9-1-1 if they see another motorist they suspect may be impaired."

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.