Yet without them,  life as we know it wouldn’t be the same.

We’re talking police – the thin blue line. Those hardy souls who have taken it upon themselves to be at the front line when trouble arises.

It’s not only a dangerous job, but highly unpredictable.

Only last week, Maitland police headed to work having no idea that they would be required to pull a body out of the Hunter River.

Similarly, spare a thought for Sydney police this week who ­suddenly found themselves with a gunman ­holding hostages – a situation that resulted in three deaths.

And so we are pleased today to be able to bring you the story of a ­community group who, in the wake of the Sydney siege, decided they needed to show police their appreciation for the tough job they do.

Maitland police arrived at work on Tuesday morning to find a bouquet of flowers and a handwritten note to thank them for their efforts.

“It was quite touching,”  Central Hunter crime manager Detective Inspector John Zdrilic said.

“I'm very pleased.

“You don’t often see things like this.”

No they don’t. And in hindsight, we probably should thank them more.

Read the story here

Now, to keep this feeling of goodwill going towards our police, how about driving safely this holiday ­period?

To give us every chance, the police today revealed that the entire highway patrol fleet will feature high visibility markings throughout its  annual Christmas and new year road safety campaign.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned. Drive safely.