Hollister
– The decades Jack Cocchi spent overseeing the production of
rockets may have made him the ideal candidate for the diligent work
of a police detective.
Hollister – The decades Jack Cocchi spent overseeing the production of rockets may have made him the ideal candidate for the diligent work of a police detective.
“When you build a rocket, you don’t get a second chance,” Cocchi said.
And Cocchi, a 68-year-old former quality control manager at United Technologies and Semi-Fab, is as close to detective work as he can get without a badge. Two years ago, the San Francisco native began working in the Hollister Police Department’s Volunteers in Policing program.
After ending his career with Semi-Fab in 2003, the retiree served on the San Benito County Grand Jury, where he met Hollister Police Capt. Richard Vasquez. The captain took to Cocchi.
“It was during that time I learned what great organizational skills he had and thought we could utilize it here in Hollister,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez urged Cocchi to consider volunteering. Cocchi found volunteering with the police program to be a welcome change of pace.
“I like working, I like being able to do things, but I had enough of business,” he said. “The jobs I had were pretty stressful.”
Every Tuesday, the police department can count on Cocchi to help with filing, spreadsheets and general office tasks. He also helps with training and crowd control at events such as parades.
Officer Rosie Betanio, who coordinates the VIP program, said the department has come to count on Cocchi.
“Jack’s cool,” Betanio said. “He’s the best. He’s one of our volunteers that’s been very consistent.”
Cocchi said the VIP program gives him the opportunity to make a difference in Hollister by freeing up officers to do more important police work.
“I’ve been here for 23 years,” he said. “And for 20 of them I didn’t really do anything for the community but through work.”
The program not only gives Cocchi the chance to give back to the community, but also to see how police do their work.
Recently Cocchi was trained in taking footprints at crime scenes. Cocchi said said he found the experience fascinating. He said he was especially intrigued by the way investigators must collect evidence to withstand scrutiny in court.
When he’s not volunteering, Cocchi shows quarter horses with his wife, Karol, or spends time with his three children and grandchildren.
Although Cocchi and his wife recently contemplated leaving the area, he said he’ll most likely remain a Tuesday fixture at the police department for many years to come.
“We just spent the last six months looking at places to live in the Northwest – Washington, Oregon and up around the Auburn and Placerville areas,” Cocchi said. “We decided Hollister is the best.”
Helping Hands is a weekly feature of the Free Lance that focuses on contributions made by individual volunteers in our community. It appears each Wednesday. If you would like to suggest someone as a profile subject, please contact Editor Mike Schmeltzer at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or [email protected].
Want to be a Hollister Police Department VIP?
The Hollister Police Department uses volunteers in policing to give officers a hand with everyday tasks. The department needs volunteers for filing records, answering phones, helping with road closures during parades, being ushers at community forums and checking into abandoned vehicles. Hours are flexible, and the department encourages both retired and working citizens alike, who can pass a background check, to apply. Stop by the Hollister Police Department at 395 Apollo Way in Hollister to apply.
The program holds a meeting every third Wednesday of the month at 6pm at the station, but you must be an active VIP to attend.
