Sonoma County Sheriff’s Sgt. Cecile Focha on Sunday was named the 5th District Public Safety Heroine of the Year for 2016 by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.
Focha is a patrol supervisor at the Sheriff’s Sonoma Valley sub-station.
She has been with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office for more than 18 years and was the first female detective sergeant in the history of the agency.
Focha was instrumental in the development of the Family Justice Center, became the first Press Information Officer (PIO), was the first female Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC) instructor, and is adjunct faculty at the Santa Rosa Junior College. She is an instructor at the police academy and was the driving force in the development of the “Alive at 25” program in Sonoma County.
In her personal time, she serves the people of Sonoma County with her community service. She is a mentor to high school students ,and is currently the president and has served for seven years on the executive board for Verity, Sonoma County’s only resource for victims of sexual violence.
“For the past eighteen years, Officer Focha has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to public service,” said Thompson. “Her work has been recognized by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, which awarded her a Certificate of Commendation, and by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which awarded her with a Bronze Medal of Merit.”
Focha has been the vice president representing Sonoma County to the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) for almost seven years. She is renowned for her participation in the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association Bass Tournament where she orchestrates the raffle, raising funds and awareness about breast cancer for Casting for Recovery.
During the ceremony, which was held in Vallejo, Thompson recognized law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians from Sonoma, Napa, Lake, Solano and Contra Costa counties as public safety heroes.
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