KEEPING the community safe is a job that is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - and it seldom wins recognition or praise.

But at a special ceremony to mark Police Remembrance Day yesterday, our officers were anything but forgotten.

Past and present serving members of the force filled the Uniting Church on Barolin St, and paid special tribute to recently slain Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding and Sergeant Dan Stiller, who both died in the line of duty.

For Bundaberg police Sergeant Kerry Lofdahl, Police Remembrance Day is one of the most important days on the calendar.

"(It) holds special significance for us, as we remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and also to remember the contribution police officers make on a daily basis," she said.

Sgt Lofdahl left university to become an officer about 11 years ago, and said she had faced some confronting situations during service stints in Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

"I've served in some diverse and remote locations," she said.

"There have certainly been some challenging situations I've faced myself.

"We rely on our training and the courage we see in each other."

Retired Senior Sergeant Doug Hoare, 72, said attending the service was a tradition he had not broken since he first became an officer nearly 45 years ago.

"It's tradition - you've got to respect what you've done and what it stands for," he said.

"I enjoyed my service. I thought it was fantastic - I'd go back and do it again."

Acting Superintendent Kev Guteridge said the day for remembering officers was also important for the community.

"We're very fortunate to be police officers in a community such as Bundaberg," he said.

"All officers here realise and appreciate the fact that we enjoy very high levels of community support for what we do."