A Savannah 9-year-old who wants to be a police officer when he grows up got off to a pretty good start in June.
When he saw three teenagers making off with a neighbor’s TV and other items, he told an adult, which wound up in the perpetrators being caught and charged. He even testified in court when one of them didn’t plead out.
Officers and prosecutors called him brave, and on Wednesday, Police Chief Joseph Lumpkin took him on a tour of the department’s headquarters and gave him an award. That’s when the 9-year-old told Lumpkin he wanted to join the force one day.
“You’re certainly going about it the right way,” Lumpkin said, advising him to go to college then swing back by. “We’ll see you when you’re 22.”
Lumpkin praised the child’s actions, saying he demonstrated “courage and character” — what’s needed “to eradicate crime” in Savannah.
“It’s a great feeling to have a young man demonstrate citizenship more than some adults do,” Lumpkin said.
Police did not identify the child or say where he lives out of an abundance of caution. The Savannah Morning News is not showing his face or using his first name for the same reason.
Assistant District Attorney Allison Bailey said the child was key to prosecution and making arrests.
“If he had not come forward... it would not have been solved,” Bailey said.
In general, prosecutors try not to put children on the stand, but Bailey said the 9-year-old volunteered.
“He held his own against three defense attorneys,” she said.
Officer Josh Calvert, who responded to the scene June 21, said the child’s testimony in court matched the statement the child gave him, which was recorded on his body camera.
“His confidence and how bright he was in there showed the judge that you might not be able to believe most 9-year-olds, but this one you can,” Calvert said.
Bailey said some of Savannah’s adults ought to take heed.
“It’s a crying shame more adults don’t come forward when a 9-year-old can do it,” she said.