We want to recognize area law enforcement for keeping us safe this holiday season. Law enforcement are usually out patrolling for drunk drivers during the hours most of us are with our families, celebrating the holiday. That is a sacrifice in and of it self, but it deserves special mention this year as a Texas State Trooper was killed on Thanksgiving Day.

Trooper Damon Allen, a father of three, made a traffic stops in Fairfield, a town 90 miles south of Dallas. A traffic stop should be routine—a warning given, a ticket issued and that’s it. But this one ended when Dabrett Black allegedly took a rifle and shot Allen to death.

The crime is horrific and shocking and needless. But it illustrates the risk the men and women of law enforcement face each day they work.

So, while most of us enjoy a cozy, long holiday let’s spare a thought for the men and women who must protect and serve.

Stay safe out there.