Chief of Police John Ortis

John’s journey into law enforcement began in 2007, when he was hired as a corrections officer for the jail division of the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office. After several years, he earned the title of Training Sergeant and quickly rose in rank to Captain of Security. John completed the police academy in 2011, at the age of 38, and was quickly selected to join the Granite Shoals Police Department as a patrol officer.  John has spent his time in Granite Shoals focusing on public and community service. John has earned a number of certifications including Master SWAT Operator and Advanced Peace Officer.  John is also an advanced Instructor specializing in patrol officer tactics and narcotics investigations. John has become well known for his contributions to charitable organizations in the area such as the Christmas Outreach and Operation Fill the Boat. His passion for helping the community gained him state wide recognition in 2018, when he was awarded the State of Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Public Service from Governor Gregg Abbott; an award given to only 20 out of approximately 81,000 officers each year.  John earned the title of Patrol Sergeant in 2019. December 2021, John earned the rank of Captain.  October 2022, John was promoted to Chief of Police.   For his future goals, he is working on completing Leadership Command College and plans on retiring right here where he started.

John and his wife Samantha currently reside here in Granite Shoals where they are currently raising their three children. John and Samantha are often found attending their children’s academic and sporting events at the Marble Falls High School.

A fun fact you would never know about John is that prior to becoming the Granite Shoals Police Officer we all know and love, John spent time as a pit crew member for Granville Motorsports in the Nascar Craftsman Truck series, a wrangler on a ranch in Colorado and New Mexico, and a Ranch Forman on a Longhorn breeding ranch right here in the Texas Hill Country. 

Captain Chad Taliaferro

E-Mail Captain Taliaferro

Chad Taliaferro began his law enforcement career in 1993 as a jailer with the McCulloch County Sheriff’s Department. He then moved on to the Collin County Sheriff’s Department where he was a jailer. In 1997 Chad moved to Marble Falls where he was employed by the Marble Falls Police Department as the Animal Control Officer. In 2000 Chad attended the police academy and went on the be a Patrol Officer and then a Patrol Sergeant for the Marble Falls Police Department. Chad went to work for the Burnet County Sheriff’s Department in 2010 where he was a Patrol Deputy, Patrol Corporal, Patrol Sergeant and an Investigator, specializing in automobile thefts. In October 2019 Chad joined the Granite Shoals Police Department as a Patrol Officer and was promoted to Patrol Sergeant in January of 2022 and most recently he was promoted to Captain in June 2023. Chad holds several law enforcement certifications, including his Master Peace Officer Certification.