While in the Benalla Library on a school excursion, he read a Police Life magazine.
“I remember seeing a picture of a police officer dressed in motorcycle gear chatting with a kid on a bicycle and thinking that would be the best job ever.” Sgt Boyle said.
“It’s funny how life can move in a full circle; ironically, in 2016, as part of Operation Motus, I ended up being part of a photo of the police solo fleet in Police Life magazine in winter that year.”
Sgt Boyle joined Victoria Police in 2004, starting his career in Brunswick working from a temporary shop front on Sydney Road, while the new station was being built.
He was introduced to rural policing at Numurkah in 2007.
“Working in the city was very dynamic and it was great working as part of a big station; there was plenty of backup when jobs needed extra hands,” he said.
“After the business of metro policing I found it great to be part of the local community, form relationships and help those in the community.”
Sgt Boyle, now 42, has family members who serve with Victoria Police in Melbourne, from detectives to highway patrol, and his grandfather was a police officer in Tasmania before he moved the family to Victoria.
Now in his 21st year with Victoria Police, Sgt Boyle started at Yarrawonga station on March 23 this year, having moved from Wangaratta where, since 2022, he had been working on the front line.
He worked at Wangaratta from 2009 to 2012 on general duties, including highway patrol, and was qualified on the police motorcycle, which he said was a great job.
“I worked on the motorcycle for five years and it’s a time in my career that I recall very fondly,” he said.
“It was great being paid to ride the Great Alpine Road through to the Kiewa Valley as part of my daily duties.”
Working the 2020 bushfires in Corryong really opened Sgt Boyle’s eyes to emergency management.
“Seeing how well the emergency services work together in a crisis was very inspiring - I think this is where my first desire to become a Sergeant came from as I want to be a part of the decision-making process and help make a difference in the community in these hard times,” he said.
Sgt Boyle said he knows Yarrawonga “reasonably well”, having grown up in Wangaratta.
“One of my earliest memories of visiting Yarrawonga is attending the power boat races at Lake Mulwala - the noise of those massive engines is still just as impressive now as it was back then.”
Many summer afternoons have been spent on the foreshore and he considers seeing the water with the light dancing on the water as “such a beautiful sight”.
“I enjoy working with the community at a grass roots level as often I am working the local divisional van and working the front line,” he said.
“The role varies widely, for instance on Anzac Day I was dressed in full uniform and had the honour of laying the wreath at the Cenotaph taking part in the ceremonial duties representing Victoria Police.
“Straight after, I was surrounded by local kids chatting with them and hearing their stories; it was great to see the kids represent their schools so proudly.”
Sgt Boyle looks forward to getting to know the community better, aiming to make Yarrawonga an enjoyable place to visit.
“Being ex highway I have a real passion for road safety and understand the huge impact that lives lost cause in our small communities,” he said.
“Yarrawonga, and Moira as a whole, have had a tough few years with road trauma and we need the communities help to minimise our collisions.
“Too often it is our locals involved in these terrible incidents.”
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