TORONTO

You may have heard about anti-police activists outrageously trying to push the Toronto Police Service’s board to end having police officers working with the kids inside of schools.

But likely, you may not have heard how one Toronto cop and some of the students he worked with on Friday, went downtown to feed the needy.

Good news does not always travel fast.

I heard veteran copper Const. Patrick Thompson – who has been the school resource officer at George S. Henry Academy in North York for six years – was going with students to hand out sandwiches at Queen and Sherbourne Sts. that day.

I couldn’t make it there, so I arranged with Meaghan Gray from Toronto Police’s media relations team, to have former Sun reporter and Toronto Police media man Kevin Masterman capture it for me.

It was amazing. From handing out bagged lunches to T-shirts, they all did a great deed Friday.

“Not everyone goes home to a hot meal,” Thompson told the kids.

He knows this well since in his 15 years as a copper, he has seen up close and personal the reality of the street and the effects it has on people.

Taking the kids on a field trip like this – not to a museum or amusement park, but to where the homeless live – is aimed at helping mould the youth to understand there is a complicated world out there.

“It teaches them how to help others,” explained Thompson. “The kids get to see another side of the city.”

Teacher Lascelles Grant said the kids love this program and love this officer.

“He’s an exceptional human being and the kids relate to him. He’s a tremendous asset for the school,” he said.

Thompson encourages kids to go down the right “path” and to live in a “healthy” and “tolerant” way.

“You’re going to work everyday with a bunch of kids who are happy to have you there,” he said. “It humbles me.”

Recent graduate Omid Abdul-Samad said before he knew Thompson, he was “afraid of police” because all he heard about is how they arrest people.

Not anymore. Now he wants to be one.

“He may appear as a big guy, he may look a little intimidating, but I can tell you he is the sweetest and most caring and generous person I’ve ever met,” said Omid of Thompson. “His office is always open. If you have problems or just hang out. There are even a bunch of alumni that come to see him.”

Student Mtega Ejinyere, 17, added, “Having him around is pretty amazing. You don’t hear about crime. No more bullying, no more fighting, he’s always on top of every issue.”

Hopefully, Mayor John Tory and the Toronto Police Services Board are hearing from the teachers and students involved in this terrific program and not the people who would shut down their meetings or block the Pride parade.

Sadly, this program could, as of next month, be eliminated, because some are trying to say the police are inside the school more as intimidation. Of course, the notion is ludicrous. Hopefully, the board will resist the ridiculous notion from activists and the politically-correct and stay on course with the productive work being done and strides being made to foster good relations between youth and police.

Thompson sure hopes so. Helping the kids is what he and the School Resource Officer program is all about.

“I love it. This my calling,” he said.

A calling that helps the students become better people, and on Friday, helped keep some of the homeless from being hungry.

jwarmington@postmedia.com