Windsor Police deputy commended for recovery of 23 stolen vehicles

Recoveries include heavy construction equipment and a
White Freightliner tractor-trailer rig.
by BERT WILLIAMS, News Editor
Windsor Police Deputy Bill Focha was awarded a “10851 Master
Pin” Monday afternoon at the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department for
exemplary efforts in recovering stolen vehicles. The award, jointly
sponsored by the California Highway Patrol and the California State
Automobile Association, is named for California Vehicle Code
section 10851 that applies to stolen vehicles.
“This award is given out to only a few very special people,”
said Sonoma County Sheriff Bill Cogbill. “To be able to come up
with this many cars is amazing, especially to get them year after
year.”
Focha received his fourth and fifth 10851 awards during the
ceremony after recovering 23 stolen vehicles and taking 12 suspects
into custody between June 2002 and Nov. 2003. The recoveries
included a Cat loader and a White Freightliner tractor-trailer
rig.
To qualify for the award, the officer must recover 12 stolen
vehicles, at least three of which are occupied, or at least six
vehicles which are all occupied at the time of the recovery.
In receiving his fifth award, Focha qualified for the 10851
Master Pin.
Also receiving 10851 awards during the ceremony were Sonoma
County Sheriff’s Deputies Jesse Rangle and Cecile Focha, Bill
Focha’s sister.
“Bill motivated me to get going on vehicle recoveries,” said
Rangle.
Cogbill noted that the two Fochas are the first brother/sister
team to work as Sheriff’s deputies in Sonoma County.
Bill Focha has worked as a Windsor Police officer for the past
six years. He worked as a Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy for one
year before that, and in the Oakland Police Department for 10 years
before moving to Sonoma County. He said that he recovered 36
vehicles in the process of winning his first three 10851
awards.