$330K In Stolen Vehicles Uncovered By 82-Year-Old Parking Enforcement Officer

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Last week, longtime Colton Police Parking Enforcement Officer Bill Harring discovered $330,000 worth of stolen vehicles parked on a side street. What happened next was worthy of the 25-year veteran officer's storied career, Lt. Robert Wilson shared with Patch.

"Recently, Bill was involved in a truly remarkable discovery. What began as a routine check of a semi-truck parked along Valley Blvd turned into a major recovery operation," Wilson said.

Bill uncovered a semi-truck full of stolen vehicles at the 1900 block of Valley Boulevard in Colton.

"I just got a feeling something wasn't right about this," Officer Harring said.

A quick records check showed the trailer was stolen out of Riverside. More record checks revealed the seven loaded vehicles, as well as the tractor, were all stolen, thought to be from northern California. That investigation is ongoing. Thus far, no arrests have been made, and no warrants served.

"They were all located at the same site—with an estimated total value of over $330,000," Wilson said. "This kind of discovery is incredibly rare in a law enforcement career and represents a significant win for the community.

"Thanks to Bill’s attentiveness and experience, all the vehicles, including a stolen big rig, were successfully recovered and returned to their rightful owners," Wilson said.

Harring takes his job seriously.

Beyond his work in Colton, Bill proudly served in the United States Navy for 20 years and is a Vietnam veteran—a testament to his lifelong commitment to service. and has served with the Colton Police Department since 1999 when he began as a dedicated citizen volunteer. Though unpaid, Bill played an important role in helping to patrol the streets of Colton, reporting suspicious activity, assisting with street closures and supporting perimeter containment during extended investigations, according to Wilson.

"In 2004, he was officially hired as a Parking Enforcement, a role he transitioned ot part-time community services officer, where he continues to serve with distinction to this day," Wilson said.

It was doing that work when he found the stolen vehicles.

"Throughout the years, Bill has proven himself to be a dedicated public servant and an invaluable asset to the department."

Colton's Chief of Police, Anthony Vega, described to Patch what it was like to have someone like Harring work with the department.

"Bill is an amazing person with strong work ethics and morals," Vega said. "We are fortunate to have him in our department. Every law enforcement agency would benefit by having someone like Bill Harring in their agency."