Kirk Dawes

Kirk Dawes QPM (born c. 1958) is a former Police Constable with West Midlands Police who now runs the West Midlands Mediation and Transformation Services, a company involved in trying to reduce gang violence in Birmingham.cite news|first=Chris|last=Arnot|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/10/mediation.gangculture|title=Interview:Kirk Dawes—The players' player—He is a former police officer who now heads a service with the unenviable task of mediating between some of the most violent gangs in the UK. But, he tells Chris Arnot, he easily could have been a member himself|work=The Guardian, Society section|date=2008-09-10|accessdate=2008-09-10]

Early life and police career

Born in Wolverhampton, one of six surviving children of Carribean immigrants. An early memory is of moving to a new house in a council estate in Bilston where most residents had signed a petition against black families moving in. Educated at Willenhall Comprehensive School he then joined West Midlands Police in 1976. After three years as an ordinary constable in Willenhall and Walsall, he moved into specialist units, initially the robbery squard from 1979 until 1981, then the special patrol group, then from 1985 the drugs squad, being joining Sutton Coldfield and Castle Vale CID in 1989 as a detective constable. After the publication of the Macpherson report in 1995 he moved into training other CID officers in racial diversity issues. In 1998 he became the regional chairman of the Black and Asian Police Association. A lung condition curtailed his police career in 2004, and on 12 June 2004 he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours. [LondonGazette|issue=57315|supp=yes|notarchive=yes|startpage=25|date=12 June 2004|accessdate=2008-09-10]

Mediation

After leaving the police he set up his company which mediates between Birmingham's gangs, and also tries to disengage youths from gang culture. His lung complaint also reduced his involvement in basketball, he played for the British police team and coached national league sides, and still uses in his work. He is also on the board of Birmingham Royal Ballet.

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