Police presence helps keep cafe afloat

“It was great to be acknowledged, we couldn't have asked for a better result,” Mrs Bartolic said.

“They said they missed home a little less because they felt so much at home here, but that's because the staff are so good and the officers joked around with us a lot.”

Police officers from three separate shifts would visit the cafe for a meal almost everyday.

“They were banging on the door at 10 to five in the morning and I said, ‘Well, if you want me to make your coffee, you can put the chairs out’, and they were making their own orange juices, coffees and would bring their plates into the kitchen,” Mrs Bartolic said.

The NSW Police Force set up a tab for their officers and paid for their meals throughout their deployment.

“It was a big help for us, we were quiet because of the border closure,” Mrs Bartolic said.

“We probably would have had to close but we kept all our staff in a job.”

Mrs Bartolic got to know the officers by name and said many of them boasted about the cafe.

“They came in on their last day with flowers and chocolates and said they would come back to Barooga with their families for their holidays,” she said.

“The whole town was amazing to them, they received food, coffees, and lollies, yet they said some border towns were grumpy at them for being there.”

NSW Police Youth Command senior constable Scott Bowden was deployed to Barooga twice and said the certificate was a well-deserved sign of appreciation.

“I can speak on behalf of all of NSW Police by saying we were welcomed by the staff and nothing was ever too much trouble,” Sen Constable Bowden said.

“In what can often be a difficult situation when we're all away from family, they made it a lot more enjoyable.”

Sen Constable Bowden praised the Barooga community as a whole for their treatment of NSW Police Force officers.