Mel is a general-duties sergeant with nearly 30 years in policing.  She’s also a mum who has worked more than 20 Christmas Day shifts.  That means she has had more Christmas meals at work with her colleagues than at home with her family.

But Mel is a genuinely selfless woman, with an equally genuine sense of service – to both her community and her teammates.

In fact, she has adopted what she calls a one-in, all-in approach.  She prefers that members with small children get to enjoy Christmas at home, so she has chosen to work.

Her sacrifice is a big, traditional Christmas lunch and a festive afternoon with family.  She does her best to adapt by organizing presents early and spending as much time as possible at home.

I’ve heard her say: “Working for me has never been an issue, I guess, but I’m aware of the times I’ve missed and I can’t get them back.”

And that’s the point.  Time is often the most precious gift we can give.

But the demands of front-line police work don’t always allow for police families to enjoy traditional Christmas revelry.  While people with regular jobs are unwrapping presents and spending time together, cops are prioritizing others’ interests ahead of their own.

Matt is another good example.  He’s a sergeant and response supervisor who, through most of his 20 years in policing, has worked shift work.  He speaks of either getting to family functions late or leaving them early.  Or, worse still, missing them all together.

I’ve heard the frustration in his voice when he has said: “Due to annual leave caps, not being able to get leave in summer school holidays to spend with family is a constant battle for members.

“Annual leave caps doesn’t take into consideration team strength.  We could have a full team and can’t take leave as the district is at percentage.”

Of course, police know that the festive season doesn’t bring good cheer for everyone.  For some it brings tragedy.  Matt remembers the suicide of a teenage girl he knew from his footy club and dealing with her distraught family.

He speaks of how “close to home” it was because he has a teenage daughter of his own.  He couldn’t help but think of the grief he would’ve felt had the same situation confronted him.

To ask Matt about police work is to find out it’s not like a TV show.  He knows well the repetitive taskings like domestic violence and mental health, the things you can’t “unsee”, and the intense accountability and scrutiny on him and his workmates.

He also knows front-line cops have limited influence within the organization and must therefore be resilient and look after each other.

And he’s right.  That resilience and care is especially important through the Christmas-New Year period when police have to confront increased behavioural offences, fuelled by alcohol and drugs.  Greater instances of domestic violence and crimes against the person are also a factor.

And, now, police have to prepare to face the dangers associated with the pending floods in the Riverland.

Only because of police officers’ holiday-season efforts is South Australia a safer, better place in which to enjoy family and friends.

Thanks and gratitude for members on the street at Christmas might be rare, if not non-existent, but that’s where families play a critical part.  Family support enables police to perform their role, in a job they mostly love, and helps them maintain their health and well-being.

It might seem that, at work, cops are just a PD number.  But, at home, they’re much more.  Those with young children understand how quickly they grow into adults.  So, the only thing those working police parents can do – if they can’t be home at Christmas – is find a balance.

Their aim should be to create memories, even if that isn’t possible on Christmas Day.  And I always say that we are people before we’re police.

I see first-hand the sacrifice that so many police officers make at Christmas time.  They have my sincere thanks and admiration.

I wish all those working shifts over the Christmas-New Year period a healthy, safe and happy holiday season.