TEEN CADET HELPS CATCH MAN WITH KNIVES

A COVENTRY schoolboy has been honoured after he used skills he learned as a police cadet to help officers apprehend a man who had several knives.

Teenager Kien Kirk, who attends Cardinal Newman sixth form, spotted the man with the deadly weapons at a petrol station in the city.

As he has been a police cadet for a year and a half he knew exactly how to report the crime, and used his knowledge to help officers apprehend the individual.

Kien said: “I called 999. I was able to use skills I’d learned as a cadet, to give clear details and keep them simple. I did this and officers were able to act quickly to apprehend the man.”

His quick thinking and grace under pressure was later acknowledged when he was honoured with a Neighbourhood Policing Unit Commander’s

Award. Talking about life as cadet, Kien said: “I applied for the Cadets 18 months ago, when I was 15. I was able to join some proper sessions to start with but then it all moved online due to coronavirus.

“Before lockdown, I’d taken part in memorial events for Remembrance Sunday which made me feel very proud.

“We’d also taken part in operations with regular officers, like patrols of the German market in Birmingham and being part of security operations. I’ve also joined a team of covert officers to experience what they do and a local policing team during a knife sweep.”

His promising start to life as cadet has also seen him be elected as a Youth Commissioner working with the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and sitting on a funding scrutiny panel.

He’s also on the West Midlands Police (WMP) Cadets Governance Board which meets to discuss the future of cadets and ways to improve the scheme with the Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, members of the Citizens in Policing Team and representatives from other departments.

In addition, he sits on the Cadets Voice Panel, which is made up two cadets from each unit who help plan future meetings. As part of this, he’s represented WMP at a national youth event at Lloyd House.

Kien added: “Being a cadet just gives me loads of experiences that I wouldn’t normally get. It provides a fantastic insight into policing.”

The cadet scheme is open to those aged 13 to 17 in the West Midlands. Recruits are given the chance to learn about policing, including visits to department, learning new skills and to help others, volunteer in the community and be part of events such as Pride or Remembrance Day.

WMP currently has 15 cadet units which meet once a week, with more opening soon.