Chief John E. Cowan, Chief of Police
153 Central St.
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
For Immediate Release
Friday, July 1, 2016
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
East Bridgewater Police Honors Chief Cowan on his Retirement
EAST BRIDGEWATER – The East Bridgewater Police Department is pleased to honor Chief John Cowan on his 39 years of distinguished service as he retires after leading the department as Chief for 11 years.
Chief Cowan’s last day at the department was June 30. Detective Sgt. Scott Allen will step into the role as Chief, beginning today.
“The residents of East Bridgewater have opened their arms to me and treated me as their own,” Chief Cowan said. “I’d like to thank my entire department and the community — it has been an honor to serve you.”
Chief Cowan has been with the department since July 1983, where he served as a Patrolman before being appointed to the role of Sergeant in 1996 and Chief in 2005. Prior to his time in East Bridgewater, Chief Cowan began his nearly 40-year career in Middleborough, starting as a Special Police Officer from 1977 to 1980. He held the same role in Lakeville before joining the East Bridgewater Police Department.
“No list of accolades or accomplishments can adequately describe all that Chief Cowan did for the community of East Bridgewater,” Chief Allen said. “He dedicated an immense amount of both his free time and career to bettering the lives of the residents of East Bridgewater, from children, seniors and everyone in between.”
Throughout the years, Chief Cowan held many roles in addition to his customary duties as a Patrolman, Sergeant and Chief:
- Assistant Control Chief for the SEMLEC Tactical Team
- Drug Abuse Resistance Education Officer, a program which he helped expand and implement in collaboration with the East Bridgewater Police Department in 1990
- Teenage Dating Violence Instructor
- Field Training Officer
Chief Cowan devoted time both within and outside of his duties as Chief to volunteer for the following East Bridgewater community events:
- Annual Christmas on Common Parade
- Annual Skyler Spagone Walk
- Annual Veteran’s Tri-Town Parade
- Central School Reading Program Day
- Central School Western Day
- East Bridgewater 175th Anniversary Celebration
- East Bridgewater High School Homecoming King/Queen Selection Committee
- Annual East Bridgewater Business Expo
- Annual DARE/EB Drug Council Concert on Common
- East Bridgewater Police Department Citizen and Student Police Academies
- Sept. 11 Observances
- Annual Bicycle Safety Days
Before graduating from the Municipal Police Academy in 1983, Chief Cowan obtained a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Western New England College and an undergraduate degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Chief Cowan would like to thank his wife, Debra, a first grade teacher at East Bridgewater’s Central School, and their three children – Danielle, Kristen and Michael – for their support of his lifelong career.
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