Forney ISD Board approves formation of police department; safety and security expert Chief Craig Miller joins district

Forney ISD Board approves formation of police department; safety and security expert Chief Craig Miller joins district

FORNEY, Texas — On Monday, January 13, 2020, Forney ISD announced Chief Craig Miller as their temporary Chief of Safety and Security and approved the formation of a Forney ISD police department.

FORNEY, Texas — On Monday, January 13, 2020, Forney ISD announced Chief Craig Miller as their temporary Chief of Safety and Security and approved the formation of a Forney ISD police department.

“Chief Miller has an impressive, long-standing career in law enforcement and is a leading expert across the nation in school safety and security,” Forney ISD Superintendent Dr. Justin Terry said. “We are proud someone with his knowledge and experience is joining our Forney ISD team to lead us through the process of forming a police department.”

Chief Miller started his career in 1982 and progressed through the ranks of the Dallas Police Department, the 9th largest US police department, to become Deputy Chief. Additionally, Chief Miller served as Chief of Police for Dallas ISD, the 14th largest US public school system with 159,000 students and 20,000 employees. Chief Miller has a bachelors from the University of Memphis in Criminal Justice and is a graduate of the Southwest Legal Command Management Supervisors Course from the University of Texas at Dallas. Additionally, Chief Miller is a Master Texas Peace Officer and a certified Texas law enforcement instructor.

“We see the formation of a Forney ISD police department as a proactive next step in enhancing safety for our district,” Forney ISD Board President Greg Pharris said. “We are grateful for the long-standing relationships we’ve had with law enforcement agencies that assist our district, and will continue to work closely with them in the future.”

Forney ISD has campuses located in multiple law enforcement jurisdictions including Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department, Kaufman County Constables, Forney Police Department, Talty Police Department and Mesquite Police Department.

Forney ISD is the only district in Kaufman County without their own ISD police department. Forney ISD currently contracts with the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department for school resource officers (SROs).

"During our long-standing partnership with Forney ISD, our SRO Program has grown from 2 deputies to 8 deputies in the largest district in Kaufman County," Sheriff Bryan Beavers said. "With the incredible growth our county is experiencing, we recognize the need for Forney ISD and KCSO to look to the future as the district transitions to their own police department. We look forward to the addition of another public safety resource in our community and the work we can do together. KCSO remains committed to the safety of Forney ISD and will be of any assistance during this time and any time in the future."

For more information about the Forney Independent School District, contact the Forney ISD Marketing and Communications Department at info@edu.forneyisd.net or by phone at 469-762-4100.