Jailed police officer released on $100K bail; back in court April 25

A rookie Niagara police officer, arrested this week for the third time in less than a year, has been released from custody on $100,000 bail.

The suspended Niagara Regional Police constable, already facing multiple charges, was taken into custody Tuesday on three counts of breaching a recognizance. At a bail hearing Friday in an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines, federal prosecutor Amber Pashuk consented to 25-year-old Mark Taks’ release. Under conditions of his release, the Stoney Creek man must live with his parents at their St. Catharines home and cannot leave the family home except for medical or legal appointments.

The police officer — who joined the NRP three years ago — is not to have any firearms in his possession and he must stay away from gyms, fitness centres and nutritional supplement stores.

Also, he cannot have a cell phone or other communication device that can send or receive private messages and he cannot surf the Internet unless he is supervised by one of his sureties.

Taks, who is represented by Toronto lawyer Daniel MacAdam, has been suspended with pay for almost a year in accordance with conditions set out by the Police Services Act.

The uniformed patrol officer had just two years of policing under his belt in April 2017 when he was charged with criminal harassment and harassing telecommunications.

He had been assigned to administrative duties at that time pending the outcome of the criminal matter. Six months later, Taks and a 25-year-old man from Ottawa were arrested and charged with several drug-related offences following an investigation into the trafficking of steroids and other narcotics including cocaine, prescription drugs and marijuana.

Taks is scheduled to return to court April 25 to answer to the drug charges, and on April 26 for the breach charges.