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By Michelle Dillon
Jacksonville Daily Progress, Texas
JACKSONVILLE, Texas — Bill Avera recently marked his 50th anniversary in law enforcement. Avera currently serves as police chief for the Jacksonville Independent School District Police Department .
“Jacksonville ISD is proud to recognize JISD Police Chief Bill Avera for an extraordinary 50 years of service to the community,” said JISD Superintendent Brad Stewart . “Chief Avera has been dedicated to integrity and commitment to public safety. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping JISD safety policies, mentoring new officers, and fostering strong relationships with the community.
“Chief Avera’s commitment to safety and security over five decades, especially during the unprecedented COVID years, was a vital component of keeping our community updated and aware of ever-changing guidelines. He graduated from JHS, served as a police officer for the city of Jacksonville , and, after years away, returned to serve in JISD. Chief Avera exemplifies our motto of “Once an Indian, Always an Indian.”
With such a long career, it may surprise some that it wasn’t Avera’s idea to go into law enforcement.
“I was a 19-year-old student at Lon Morris and I knew the police chief here in town at the time. He said, ‘I’ve got a job that might interest you,’ and I said, ‘Okay, what is it?’”
Avera said the job was a part-time position with the Jacksonville Police Department working parking meters downtown and dispatch, which he accepted.
When the part-time position became full-time, Avera attended the police academy in Kilgore . He said at the time, the police academy had to be completed within the first year of employment and consisted of 240 hours, or six weeks, of training.
Once Avera graduated Lon Morris , he attended Sam Houston State University on a full-ride scholarship to complete his degree. While there, he worked for the Texas Department of Corrections , returning to JPD afterwards.
His service history includes private security and loss prevention, Chief of Police in Brownfield, Texas ; Police Chief at Cockrell Hill, Texas ; and the Dallas Independent School District’s police force.
Avera joined the Jacksonville ISD police force as chief in 2016.
“It was all about helping others,” Avera said. “My mother was a social worker, worked in the state mental health arena 30 or 40 years before she passed away. She instilled in me a love for public service and helping others. At first it was a job, but it grows on you after time.”
Avera acknowledged there are bad days, but said it was the opportunity to offer a helping hand that attracted him.
“Some people will probably say I wasn’t the best street cop in the world because I didn’t like putting people in jail,” he said. “It was more about seeing what you could do to help people’s cause, whatever that was.”
He acknowledged that law enforcement is different today than when he entered the profession.
“Those that have been able to change with the times have been and those that haven’t kind of fell by the wayside,” Avera said. “It’s very different today. There’s a lot more demands on the officers today, especially in municipal law enforcement.”
Avera said the implementation of school based police forces was long overdue. He said being on the front lines as school safety evolves has been the most rewarding part of his job.
“There are some days that it feels like a job and there some days it doesn’t,” he said. “I’ve got to be doing something. I like this. I love it. I’ve grown up doing it. It’s basically all I’ve ever done as an adult.”
Avera said the greatest thing about being in law enforcement is when people mention something that you’ve done that has impacted their lives. He equated police work in a school district to being a mentor, an educator and an occasional counselor all in one.
“You really have an opportunity to build relationships and influence the path that students are on,” Avera said.
Avera also currently serves as the president of the Texas School District Police Chiefs Association . He was appointed in 2021 by Gov. Greg Abbott to the board of directors of the Texas School Safety Center, on which he continues to serve. He is chairman of the board of Providence Place, an adoption agency in San Antonio . And he is a member of the Jacksonville Rotary Club .
“I’m grateful to everybody who has supported me over the years,” Avera said. “I feel very fortunate to have this longevity. I’ve never regretted doing it. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve.”
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