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A mum whose teenage son was attacked and killed says a police cadet base set up in his name has been the perfect way to keep his memory alive.
As it celebrates its fifth anniversary this weekend, his mum has explained how the cadet school has given her “a reason to keep going” in the aftermath of her son’s tragic death.
Lyrico Steede was only 17 years old when he was attacked and killed by a group of young men who had lured him to a Bulwell park under false pretences.
Lyrico thought he was meeting a girl for a date but in fact, it was a trap, and his killers were waiting in the darkness to ambush him on 13 February 2018.
They chased after the defenceless young man before stabbing him to death.
In the weeks that followed, detectives from Nottinghamshire Police left no stone unturned in a bid to identify the people involved in the ambush.
Following an extensive investigation, five people – including the 16-year-old girl he’d met that night – were ultimately locked up for a combined 58-and-a-half years.
In June 2019, Nottinghamshire Police set up a police cadet base in Bulwell in Lyrico Steede’s name.
His mum Keishaye Steede said:
“Words can’t describe how difficult and devastating it has been for myself and my family since the passing of my son Lyrico.
“There’s nothing like losing a child especially the way I lost my son, and it would be easy for me to just dwell on this pain but having the cadet base is an amazing way for me to remember my son in a positive way and gives me a reason to keep going.
“I have visited the base a few times now and it really touches my heart to see how much the cadets that attend have grown and developed since they first joined.
“I love having Lyrico’s name attached with this positive initiative and it’s amazing to see his legacy living on through the base.
“The cadet base is so important because it gives young people the chance to have positive role models to look up to as they navigate the difficulties of growing up.
“I know that if he was still alive, Lyrico would have really benefited from an initiative like the cadets as it would have given him a safe space to socialise and learn about the dangers he may face.”
The cadet base, which currently has 19 cadets, is run from Crabtree Community Centre in Bulwell and runs weekly sessions for young people aged between 11 and 16.
Romel Davis, a Youth Outreach Co-ordinator for Nottinghamshire Police, who helped set up the base, said:
“I approached Keishaye with this idea because I thought it would be a great way to help and engage with young people living in the city and near to where Lyrico lived a couple of miles away.
“Five years on, it’s gone on to really help young people that attend, and I am delighted that Lyrico’s mum Keishaye has been so onboard and supportive of the base from the beginning.”
The cadets regularly take part in community events like litter picking and charity events as well as learn about important issues like knife crime and hate crime.
Volunteer Police Cadets is a nationally recognised police youth group in England and Wales.
In Nottinghamshire, junior cadet sessions are available to those at secondary school between Years 7 and 11, with senior cadet sessions available to those in Years 12 and 13.
A total of 40 cadet leaders, made up of police officers, staff and civilian volunteers, offer their time, skills and knowledge to operate the force’s five cadet bases by running weekly sessions during school term time to 105 young people across Nottinghamshire.
Lyndsey Hufton, Citizens in Policing Coordinator at Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"It’s great to see how successful the Lyrico Steede cadet base has been, and we look forward to welcoming new cadets in the future as some of our cadets’ progress to senior cadets.
“The cadets are a great way for people from underrepresented and vulnerable backgrounds to build trust and confidence in the police, and for them to engage positively with the communities they live in.”