News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Alpena Police Patrol Officers Terri Curtis, left, and Linnessa Mellberg pose by a Christmas Tree at the Alpena public safety building, 501 W. Chisholm St. on Thursday.

ALPENA — For many, Christmas Day is a well-deserved break from the stresses of work and provides an opportunity to spend time with friends and family.

However, for some people, even Christmas is just another work day.

One example of a profession that may require this is law enforcement.

“We all have a job to do here,” said Linnessa Mellberg, a patrol officer with the Alpena Police Department. “We’re dedicated, we support our community, and we’ll make sure it’s safe.”

“I work holidays quite frequently,” said Shelby Dewar, a supervisor at the Alpena County jail with the Alpena County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re making sure that everyone else is safe. And these inmates are taken care of also during these holidays.”

Mellberg emphasizes that having officers available is a necessity given the unpredictability of the job.

“Our job is unpredictable,” said Mellberg. “It can be a slow day, or it can be a fast day.”

Despite this hectic pace, Mellberg and Dewar both claim that everybody in the office is doing their best to accommodate each other and lighten the burden that they each need to carry.

“We’re all very reasonable around here,” said Mellberg “We try to accommodate everybody. People trade shifts or cover for each other to help get a holiday off. So everyone’s very accommodating, caring, and supportive of each other.”

“I do have children at home, so some days it kind of plays on your heartstrings,” said Dewar. “But, I have really good staff. We make it feel as comfortable as possible when we’re going in there.”

Law enforcement aren’t the only people who may be tasked with working on Christmas Day.

Those in the hospitality business also frequently need to be ready to work on Christmas days like the owner of Great Bear Lodge, Hanlie Engelbrecht.

“When we bought the place, we knew this was a 24/7 365 days a year establishment,” said Engelbrecht.

For Engelbrecht, It’s all about providing people with a place to stay during the holidays.

“Some people appreciate that,” said Engelbrecht. “Being close by family, but still having a private couple of hours.”