A police officer has been praised for his commitment and composure after he helped calm down a teenager, following reports of concerns for a girl heading towards a bridge in Trafford last month.
PC Jack Doyle joined Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in February, and only began working as a neighbourhood officer in August.
Working alongside fellow emergency personnel on the scene, PC Doyle spent more than two hours talking to the vulnerable 15-year-old whom he believed “had intentions to end her life”, ensuring she was brought to safety.
“I was just trying to take her mind off things. She was struggling, so I was trying to calm her down. Thankfully I was able to do so,” he said.
“No one could really get through to her, but I kept trying to speak to her on a personal level,” said the officer, recalling the events of 2 December.
“One of my colleagues mentioned she has pets and likes animals, so I started to talk about that and she began to open up more. We then started to talk about school and other things for more than two hours.”
The teenager was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment, and was later reunited with her family who thanked PC Doyle and fellow officers for their help.
Sgt Alex Walker said the way the police constable had handled the incident “made everyone’s job easier.”
“Jack talked her into a state of responsiveness and even got some good conversation out of her, making her laugh a good couple of times, and overall making her awful situation much better,” he said.
“Jack deserves praise for the way he handled a very difficult situation with calmness and composure.”