How officers worked to avoid an armed face-off with a 15-year-old boy

DURING Operation Pallas, police tried to engage with young people who they believed were being drawn in to criminal activity with the support of children’s services.

They had some success – but one youngster, who was 15 at the time of the investigation, refused to cooperate and faces a custodial sentence for possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and handling stolen goods.

Supt Mark Dexter said: “If you are concerned your child is involved in criminal activity, or you are on the brink of it yourself, there are other avenues you can go down to get out of that situation.

“Speak to parents, teachers, youth workers, or police. There are things we can do.

“The 15-year-old boy in question was a challenge to us in terms of getting him to engage with children’s services. He is now a boy facing a significant period of detention - he was also at serious risk of being harmed. The kudos and the traction to that lifestyle are shortlived.”

The potentially catastrophic scenario of armed officers facing down a 15 year-old with a gun had to be avoided during Operation Pallas.

Supt Dexter said: “The risk of a confrontation between armed police and young men using firearms was significant and we took a lot of steps to try and disrupt some of that criminality, to protect those young people.”

Since Zico Reid’s arrest and the seizure of the guns there has been a noticeable reduction in violence and community tensions in the M14 area.

Undercover officers put their lives on the line to gain the evidence needed to end what they believe to be Zico Reid’s regime of fear.

Commenting on his arrest, Det Supt Denn said: “It was a particularly challenging job on the night. Certainly for the officers on the ground it did test the mettle of the officers deployed.

“There was a big decision to make to strike when we did.”