Kevin Chilton

Having a stark choice of fighting teens on the city streets or helping them find their way in life, Kev Chilton knew which way he wanted to go! For most of his working life, he was an inner-city cop and detective, concentrating on murder, gun crime, and other serious offences. However, he joined the police as a 16-year-old cadet and early in his career, he was tasked with helping young offenders, which quickly became his speciality. He noticed that by simply listening to the problems young people were concerned with, the majority were prepared to listen to him back. He built trusting relationships with most, who were happy to listen to and act on his advice. Many responded positively, and they moved confidently into adulthood. Throughout his police service, he arranged youth clubs, attended schools where he gave talks and maintained an open-door policy, encouraging any young person with a problem to approach him privately afterwards. He also set up and operated specialist juvenile squads geared towards helping those who had gone off the rails. The results were excellent, and he was never happier in his job than when he could redirect a young person's life onto the right path. His boldest move was joining an illegal car race with the leaders of a local gang he often had to chase. They thought they had a better driver (used in car thefts to taunt the police), and bragged about it, and their choice activity was stealing a car and revving it up outside the police station. They would then typically have fun outrunning the cops. He knew it was an enormous risk to take them on, especially if he lost the race. But he also saw an opportunity to bring the community together. (See the full story on his website) It was a fulfilling time in his life, and it helped him understand the constantly evolving challenges teenagers face as they transition to adulthood. More specifically, as times change, so do the needs and circumstances of young people. Choosing the path of mentorship over the chaos of city streets, he has dedicated his journey to helping teenagers, steering them away from conflict and towards a brighter future. Today, he is proud to utilise his extensive experience to make a positive impact. He is particularly attuned to the unique issues that young people are currently grappling with, and one of his main goals is to bridge the gap between them and the adults in their lives. Through this series of his guidebooks for teens, Chilton has become an international, award-winning author, and a beacon of support for teenagers and the adults regularly involved with teens. Today he lives in a converted barn in the beautiful East Kent countryside where family, walking and writing are a big part of his life.