Tyler collects award for quick thinking and bravery

A 15-year-old Newtown Volunteer Police Cadet has been recognised for his quick thinking and bravery after helping officers arrest a prolific offender who had stolen a television and was carrying a blade.

Tyler Brian was on his way to work in October 2024 when he spotted police vehicles and a helicopter searching for the suspect. After officers spoke to him during their search, Tyler continued to his workplace but decided to check the building's CCTV monitor.

"As I arrived at the building, I happened to look at the CCTV monitor," Tyler recalled. That quick glance led to him catching a "glimpse of the offender" who matched the police description.

Tyler immediately called police and made the decision to follow the suspect whilst maintaining a safe distance.

"The right thing to do in this case was to follow the offender, due to my concerns of the danger to the community. I ensured I remained at a safe distance as I was clueless whether the offender was still in possession of the bladed item," he explained.

Tyler provided a running commentary to the call handler until officers arrived to make the arrest. His actions that day led directly to apprehending the wanted individual.

"Even though I knew that the police would be arriving shortly after they had received the phone call, my thoughts were with someone in the community getting hurt and not worrying about myself," Tyler said.

The teenager, who had been a cadet for only a year at the time, credited his training for helping him handle the situation professionally. He said learning the phonetic alphabet during cadet sessions proved particularly useful when communicating with the call handler.

Tyler's courage and maturity were formally recognised when he was awarded Police Cadet of the Year at the Dyfed-Powys Police Force Awards held at force headquarters on Friday, 4 July. The award is sponsored by CDW.

"To be announced as the winner of the 'Police cadet of the year' for the whole of Dyfed-Powys left me speechless," Tyler said.

His Cadet Leader PCSO Melanie Ross nominated him for the award, describing Tyler as someone who "always goes above and beyond in his role as a police cadet and is an outstanding ambassador for policing in our communities."

Tyler's parents expressed pride in their son's actions and recognition. His mother said: "I was really proud when Tyler told me what he had done, it was very brave, mature and responsible of him to act the way he did. This shows Tyler's commitment to the police - he didn't even really see this as anything out of the ordinary and just something that should be done."

Tyler said: "It was fantastic to see how much my work on the day of the arrest had been noticed and how much my work and effort in cadets was appreciated."