For months Branden Tom has been patrolling his neighbourhood for bad guys.
Today, he got some back up.
Timmins Police officers stopped by to give Branden his own police gear and encouragement.
The five-year-old met with officers, got to sit on the motorcycle and turn on the sirens, and even cruised the street alongside an officer.
At Halloweens a couple years ago, Branden told his mom Emilly Peever he wanted to be a police officer.
He's been wearing his police officer uniform since Halloween and when the snow melted in the spring, she said he started patrolling the neighbourhood with a motorcycle he got for Christmas.
“His first time on the motorcycle, he was like ‘I need to be a police officer’ and he went and got his coat and his SWAT hat and off he went policing,” she recalled.
It's not only bad guys Branden is looking for on patrol.
Peever said he's done good deeds like helping a neighbour with the garbage.
“(The neighbours) absolutely love it, they’re so encouraging they’ll come out, they’ll cheer him on, they’ll thank him for keeping the neighbourhood safe and they’ll wave to him,” she said.
Officers stopped by to thank Branden today thanks to Facebook.
Peever said Branden was watching the news with her one night, which usually doesn't happen.
“He happened to come downstairs and there was a report about how people were really upset with the police and he got really upset at the news," she said.
When he went out to patrol that night and she was taking pictures, he asked her to send them to Timmins Police, thank them for protecting people, and to say he'll be working with them soon.
The department ended up reaching out. They asked for one of his shirts and had Timmins Police patches added to the sleeves. When they stopped by his house to deliver it today, they brought the big Emergency Response Team vehicle for him to see, along with the police motorcycle.
“This is so beyond my expectations. I originally expected to just go pick up the shirt from the police station," said Peever.
"We really were just doing it as a thank you. We know that it’s hard right now especially with all the negative media, so we wanted to just give a morale boost and thank you for everything."
For Branden, his favourite part of the visit was seeing the officers, and he wants to be a Timmins Police officer one day.
Const. Trevor Southcott was one of the members to meet with Branden.
“For a lot of us, at one point or another we were in the position he’s in right now so it’s kind of neat to see,” he said.
His advice for Branden is to keep doing what he's doing.
“It’s great that he’s looking out for his little part of the community and helping us out with regards to policing,” he said.
