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New Oak Bay officer on the traffic beat

Const. Jeff Savoy a ‘top traffic enforcement officer’
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Const. Jeff Savoy is now on patrol with the Oak Bay Police Department. (Travis Paterson/News Staff)

As school started back in session there were a pair of new Oak Bay police faces patrolling school zones.

Const. Derek Brand, who started in the spring, was next to Willows elementary while brand new officer Const. Jeff Savoy handed out warnings near Oak Bay High.

“I enjoy working traffic,” Savoy said. “I give out warnings but I typically write tickets.”

Savoy and fellow newcomer Const. Jake Colwell were sworn-in in early September. A husband and a father to a two-year-old, Savoy grew up in Nanaimo and comes to Oak Bay from three years with the RCMP in Richmond.

“I always wanted to be a police officer, when I graduated school in the early 2000s, wasn’t the right opportunity at the time,” Savoy said.

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He became an electrician for 15 years and volunteered as a reserve officer for six years between the West Shore RCMP and Saanich Police Department.

During his time working, Savoy traveled more and more to work in remote camps.

“The travel was getting a bit crazy and when the opportunity came up, RCMP were hiring again, I applied and got in.”

Savoy went to Regina for the Depot Division training in 2017 and was posted to general duty in Richmond at the Vancouver International Airport.

“There were a lot of different calls and a lot of different people coming through,” Savoy said. “It was a good chance to learn the procedures.”

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In Oak Bay, expect to see Savoy handing out tickets to delinquent drivers.

“Traffic enforcement is part of the community strategic plan to focus on traffic in the past five years, Savoy said. “I’ve talked to a lot of members here and they’re excited to have me doing traffic.”

Oak Bay Police Chief Ray Bernoties said Savoy’s work as a top traffic enforcement officer for Richmond stood out.

“Savoy is a motivated member who, while maintaining a comparatively heavy file load in the Lower Mainland, always remained highly proactive patrolling during peak crime hours and interrupting many attempted and in-progress property crimes,” Bernoties said.

Down the road, Savoy is interested in taking up one of the secondment positions to work on task forces elsewhere. Four Oak Bay Police officers are currently on secondment.

“I just love to learn and take courses, and do what I can,” Savoy said. “When opportunities come up I’m one of the guys who is interested.”

Savoy is one of six new hires since Const. Jenn Berkley was sworn-in in early December with Const. Kirstin Stuart, Const. Deane Johnston, Const. Derek Brand and Const. Jake Colwell. Oak Bay Police Department has 23 officers in total with four more on secondment to externally funded positions.

reporter@oakbaynews.com


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