It’s Norman Rockewellesque to picture the big, strong police officer showing his softer side to a small child or animal.

But, among our local officers, the painting comes to life.

Sure, we have some great local law enforcement workers who can catch the bad guys, wrestle criminals to the ground and bark commands like an Army drill sergeant.

But a few Vidalia officers showed us this week they also care about the small, harmless things in our community, too.

When a kitten trapped on the Mississippi River Bridge needed help Tuesday night, the police — and a city worker — were there to help.

As several men worked on top of the bridge to capture the cat stuck on a beam, others stood on the ground below watching.

The up-high rescue efforts weren’t successful; the cat went tumbling down.

And the image that followed — that of police officer Frank Duson stretching out his jacket to catch the falling kitty — is simply special.

These men taught us all an important lesson — even the smallest, seemingly unimportant, members of our community deserve a helping hand and no one is too good to answer that call.

And their actions have reminded us of something else many people tend to forget.

Police officers are here to help. They are our friends, and they love the community around them.

On behalf of the kitty and the rest of us our officer so faithfully serve, we say, “thanks.”