QISD Police Department Reorganized, Ferrara Chief

Quinlan Independent School District reorganized its police department this week and named Officer Pete Ferrara as police chief.

Chief Ferrara’s department will consist of Officer Shawn Gilliard and Officer Janice Lively.

Ferrara graduated from the Basic Peace Officer Academy in Jan. 1994. He is a Certified Master Peace Officer by Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Law Enforcement Administration with Honors from Ottawa University. Ferrara holds additional certifications as a Mental Health Peace Officer and a Basic and Intermediate Telecommunications Operator.

Ferrara began his career in traffic division and moved up including assignments in patrol, field training and narcotics-tactical operations. He has served in Hunt County Area Law Enforcement since 2003, previously with the City of Quinlan as a police officer before joining QISD.

Ferrara will also teach two criminal justice classes at W.H. Ford High School.

Communications Director Tiffony Hopper said, "QISD would like to welcome back officer Shawn Gilliard who has returned from a year’s leave of absence to serve in Iraq. Gilliard has been in law enforcement for 10 years, six years and five months at QISD. He has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and is currently working on his bachelor’s degree. Gilliard has his Advanced License, he is Mental Health certified, and also has his instructor certification."

The newest member to the QISD department is Janice Lively. Lively has been with the department since Aug. 24, 2008. She graduated from the police academy on June 28, 2008.

Lively said, "I always wanted to be a police officer, so I rode along with the Rains County Sheriff’s Office before attending the academy."

Lively is currently a reserve officer for the Rains County Sheriff’s Office. Before becoming a police officer, she managed a restaurant for five years while going to school. She was a full-time supervisor with United Parcel Service (UPS ) for almost 10 years.

Hopper said Ferrara’s primary assignment would be W.H. Ford High School. She said Lively would be seen patrolling the high school, D.C. Cannon Elementary School and A.E. Butler Intermediate School campuses. Gilliard will patrol C.B. Thompson Middle School, Alternative School and Joe Martin Early Childhood Center.

Anyone who needs to contact the police department should contact Ferrara at the high school at 903-356-2155. Email addresses for the department are: pete.ferrara@quinlanisd.net, shawn.gilliard@quinlanisd.net and janice.lively@quinlanisd.net.

Hopper said, "QISD appreciates the services of former Chief Eric Huggins the past four years and wishes him luck in his endeavors."

Ferrara said, "I would like to see the QISD Police Department continue to serve the needs of our students, faculty and staff in a professional and proactive manner to improve the education of our children and the quality of life in our district. To accomplish this, the officers of this department will set examples and serve as professionals who are dedicated to our duty in every aspect of our jobs to meet the expectations of the district.

"I will begin teaching two classes in the upcoming school year as part of the career and technology program — Fundamentals of Criminal Law in the fall and Basic Criminal Investigation in the spring semester. I am looking forward to encouraging students to investigate pursuing a career in the criminal justice field."