By Steve Hubrecht
The Columbia Valley RCMP’s newest detachment commander loved the valley even before moving here, and hopes to call it home for a long time to come.
Sergeant Jeff Witzke has been in his new role for a few months now, taking over from Sgt. Ed deJong (who left to become Operations NCO in Terrace, B.C.) at the end of 2024. Prior to becoming a sergeant, Witzke was a corporal with the Columbia Valley RCMP for several years.
But his connection to the valley goes back to holidays decades ago. Witzke is a third generation Mountie. His dad had RCMP postings all over Alberta, but the family always took vacations in B.C.
When Witzke was a kid, he wasn’t 100 per cent sure what he wanted to be when he grew up. But policing was “something I was familiar with,” he explained, and in 2008 he followed in the family footsteps and joined the RCMP.
He worked first in a small town near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border before moving to northern Alberta. Then he had a five-year stint in Edmonton with a special organized crime gang enforcement unit. The work was interesting, but a half-decade in a big city was enough.
“My wife and I started a family. We’d always come to B.C. for holidays and we knew it was where we wanted to live,” said Witzke.
They were both familiar with the Columbia Valley and thought it was the perfect place to make their home. But there were no openings at the time with the Columbia Valley RCMP, so Witzke took a job in Whistler where the family lived for three and a half years.
Eventually a job in the Columbia Valley came up, and the Witzkes packed up and moved again. This time, they hope to stay put.
“Ultimately we ended up where we wanted to be. We want to stay long term and raise our family here,” said Witzke. “Whistler was good, but it’s definitely a big resort town. There are one million-plus tourists a year there. Here there’s tourism, but it is certainly not as busy.”
The Witzkes have two kids and the whole family spends as much time outdoors as possible.
“We love all of the activities — hiking, biking, fishing, just being on the lake. We’re avid snowmobilers and skiers,” Witzke told the Pioneer. “The Columbia Valley has so much to offer, and it’s stunningly beautiful.”
If he had to pick a favourite outdoor spot in the valley, Witzke would choose being out on the lake in a boat.
Community policing is not an easy job — officers work long hours, must wear many hats at once, and often end up in difficult situations. But Witzke finds meaning in the work.
“Some parts are thankless, sure,” he said. “But when you help protect people, when you help those who are truly in a crisis, that is a reward in itself. You have a chance to really make a difference in people’s lives.”
Witzke also enjoys the small town part of working with the Columbia Valley RCMP.
“I like that you get to be part of the community. That people know who you are, and you are approachable even when you’re not in uniform. You work in the community, but you also very much live in it too – that is key to me,” he said.
