Selma Police Detective named Times-Journal First Responder of week

Published 9:25 am Tuesday, March 21, 2023

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Selma Police Detective Dorothy Cowan had the opportunity to retire in 2018.

Cowan, The Selma Times-Journal’s First Responder of the week, is in her 30th year in law enforcement. She is also the Executive Director of the Selma Police Athletic League, an organization for young kids in the Queen City.

“My career’s winding down, I could’ve retired five years ago,” Cowan said.

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For Cowan, leading PAL is one of the big reasons she hasn’t retired. Cowan has run PAL for the last 10 years.

“I stayed on with the Police Department because I love what I do with PAL,” Cowan said. “I love working with the kids during school and after school.”

Cowan said there’s a misconception about PAL. “Most people think we just work with juvenile kids, we work with all of the kids,” Cowan said. “During my summer is my favorite time working with the kids. We have them all day.”

Cowan said she’s proud her granddaughters, Taylor, 15, and Gabrielle, 13, went through PAL and are basketball players in Huntsville.