Cedar Hill ISD hires four new officers

Cedar Hill—The Cedar Hill Independent School District Police Department swore in four police officers last week, increasing the department’s total number to 15 police officers.

Officers Jannette Casas, Jakisha Jones, Abraham Rubio and Rawleigh Williams were sworn in during a ceremony in front of their family members last Thursday at Cedar Hill Government Center.

Last November, Cedar Hill citizens passed a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE) by a 2-to-1 margin that ensured the district could fulfill the state mandate of having one officer per campus.

The district hired seven new officers, from the VATRE funds, and they added an eighth officer to fill a previous vacancy.

The officer with the most experience is Rawleigh Williams, who retired from the Dallas Police Department as a homicide detective.

Williams, a Dallas native, attended Austin College in Sherman, on a football scholarship, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Political Science. He returned to his high school alma mater, Dallas Thomas Jefferson, where he taught and coached. He also taught and coached in Garland ISD.

Williams made the leap to law enforcement in the early 2000s.

“I started my career working in schools as a teacher and coach, and I’m blessed to be back as an officer,” Williams said.

Jones, a Fort Worth native, served in various roles in the Arlington Police Department from 2005-2023. She left APD as a lieutenant.

“I’m excited to be here,” Jones said. “Our team is great. Our officers have experience in law enforcement in major cities and school districts.”

She’s also an executive pastor at RAMP Church in Fort Worth.

Rubio and Casas are a married couple with five children. They moved to the Metroplex from their hometown of Eagle Pass, located 406 miles south of Cedar Hill on the U.S./Mexico border.

Rubio worked as an officer for the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas and the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, both in Eagle Pass. For part of his childhood, Rubio grew up in Oak Cliff.

“Growing up, I saw my mom struggle a lot and saw that she didn’t get the help she needed from law enforcement,” Rubio said. “I wanted to be the difference. I love everything about CHISD-PD and the camaraderie of being here.”

Casas was a reserve deputy in Maverick County and most recently worked as a security officer at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas.

“It was very special for my parents to drive up here for the swearing-in ceremony,” said Casas, who has always wanted to work as a school resource officer. “I want to help scholars achieve their goals and to keep them safe.”

SOURCE Cedar Hill ISD