Too often, the dedication of law enforcement officers is overlooked. The brave men and women who work as police officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, narcotics agents and others daily put their lives on the line to protect others.

They aren’t always recognized or hailed as heroes but they should be. On Tuesday, seven agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics received Medals of Valor from Gov. Phil Bryant for their part in a six-hour standoff in 2015 at a Brookhaven apartment building that left one man dead and two police officers injured.

“Today, I awarded seven Medals of Valor to Mississippi Bureau of Narcotic agents for bravery and swift action from an incident in 2015. It is the least we can do for the men and women who protect us each day. We thank them for their above-and-beyond response to the call of duty,” he wrote on his Facebook page to acknowledge the ceremony.

The agents weren’t named and no photos were taken of them receiving the medals. The unnamed agents are presumably still in the field working and identifying them could have negative consequences.

Their actions in 2015 helped bring to close a terrible situation in Brookhaven.

“SWAT snipers were deployed and were taking fire from the barricaded subject within 18 inches of their heads,” MBN Director John Dowdy said. “They stood firm, hunkered down and when he started to open fire on the rest of the SWAT team, one of the snipers was able to take the shot that enabled them to secure him.”

The agents — and all officers present that night — risked their lives to protect others. We offer our thanks to them for those heroic deeds and the daily tasks they perform that don’t make the newspaper.