They put themselves in harm's way to keep other people safe and now the bravery of police officers and staff is to be recognised as part of the Norfolk Safer Community Awards (NOSCAs).
Readers of the paper have the chance to vote for the community officer of the year in both police officer and special officer categories.
Here is a look at the special constabulary nominees.
• Special Sergeant Jonathan Walls, from the Breckland District, has been a dedicated special since 2007 combining a high number of hours each week with having a young family at home. He has a key training role with the Thetford Cadet Unit.
• Special Constable Bradley Gell, from the Broadland District, has been nominated for the support he has given to his colleagues in the district. He worked more than 1.500 hours in the past year as well as being in full-time employment.
• Special Sergeant Adam Markham, from the Great Yarmouth District, is an established officer in the area who spends a lot of time on mobile patrol supporting the 24/7 response teams in the town as well as regularly assisting officers in Norwich to police the night-time economy.
• Special Sergeant Christopher Cutche, of the King's Lynn and West Norfolk District, has been with the Norfolk force since 2003. He has committed more than 5,000 hours of additional policing since 2012 and specialises in training new student officers.
• Special Constable Keith Phillips, dedicated Broadsbeat Special at Hoveton, is a retired Met Police officer who plays a key role in the Broadsbeat team, helping to keep the waterways safe.
• Special Constable Astrid Barber, from the Norwich District, last year completed 500 hours of dedicated policing hours while juggling home life.
• Special Chief Inspector Paul Hart, from South Norfolk District, has been influential in overseeing the transition of a number of specials into full time PCs.
NOSCAs
The NOSCAs – which highlight the role played by police officers and staff – are now in their 11th year.
Appreciation can be shown by voting for nominees in categories that range from Community Officer of the Year, the John (Cecil) Mason Volunteer of the Year, Young Citizen(s) of the Year and Community Citizen(s) of the Year.
Voting forms will be available in this newspaper while nominations can also be made via the www.noscas.co.uk website.
In addition, followers of Norfolk Constabulary's Facebook page will once again be asked to vote for the Police Dog of the Year – www.facebook.com/norfolkpolice/
Voting for the community police officer of the year category closes on July 31.
The winners and runners-up will be invited to a special awards evening at the Holiday Inn, Cromer Road, Norwich on October 11.
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