Long-Time Law Enforcement Officer to Lead Campus Department
Angelina College this week named Ashley Jowell its new Chief of Police for the AC Police Department, following a rigorous, months-long public search and interview process. Jowell, who had served as Interim Chief for the past several months, was selected from a competitive pool of candidates after careful review and consideration.
Jowell, who has been with AC since 2021, also has served as a TCOLE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement) instructor, as well as a Police-in-Service Training Manager. She has served in instructor/trainer roles in such areas as Department of Public Safety Associate Trainer and TCOLE Firearms Instructor. ‘
The new chief said her role, along with the entire department’s, is all about providing a safe environment for everyone stepping foot on the Angelina College campus.
“The main role is going to be community policing,” Jowell said. “We want to make sure our campus is safe, not only for students, staff, and faculty, but for all our many visitors and community members.”
Along with the daily campus activities, AC’s Police Department is responsible for providing security for the numerous events, including athletics, concerts, and other activities taking place in the always-bustling campus environment. Jowell said the focus is on preventative measures, such as pre-sweeping areas and ensuring there are ample personnel present for each event.
One challenge Jowell welcomes has to do with what she calls “humanizing the badge.”
“We have students coming here from all over our country and all over the world, and not all of them have had positive interactions with their local police,” Jowell said. “Our officers here at AC go out of their way to build relationships and trust with every student in an effort to provide them with as many positive experiences as possible.”
Before arriving at AC, Jowell served as Communications Supervisor with the Lufkin Police Department from 2015-2022. Her duties there included serving as the custodian for 9-1-1 records and implementing Policy and Procedures. She was responsible for implementing new call-taking procedures during the COVID pandemic in an effort to ensure the safety of all first responders.
In 2021, Jowell was named one of Lufkin’s Most Influential Women; she received the City of Lufkin’s “Above and Beyond” Employee Excellence Award in 2020 and was named to the Eastern Star Huntington Chapter.
Jowell also served as a Communications Operator for LPD from 2010-2015, and was a reserve deputy for the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department from 2009-2013.
A 2006 graduate of Huntington High School, Jowell completed the Angelina College Police Academy in 2009.
Jowell credited her mentors, including former Chiefs of Police Doug Conn, Gerald Williamson and David Thomas, with preparing her for a leadership role.
“Those men were so instrumental in guiding us in directions we needed to go, from handling emergencies to planning to responding – everything involved in police work,” Jowell said. “Their leadership gave me such a great example of the type of leader I want to be.”
For further information, contact Krista Brown at kbrown@angelina.edu.
