Newtown, Connecticut, first responders received an emotional standing ovation at a vigil for the school shooting victims on December 16.Newtown police have worked nonstop since the Sandy Hook school shootingOfficers from neighboring towns have come in to helpOn Christmas Day, neighboring officers will patrol the entire communityNewtown police officers will have Christmas Day at home with their families(CNN) -- From around the world, condolences and offers of support have washed tragedy-ravaged Newtown, Connecticut, with wave after wave of sympathy from people trying somehow, some way, to reach out, to help, to comfort.
On Christmas Day, thanks to a grassroots effort by their fellow law enforcement brethren in nearby communities, Newtown's police officers will be the recipients of a rare gift in their profession -- a holiday off, for the entire force."Patrol officers and sworn personnel will be given the day off to be home on Christmas. Officers from surrounding towns will be patrolling Newtown," police Sgt. Steve Santucci of Newtown told CNN.Newtown police have been working nonstop since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14. The school shooting claimed the lives of 20 children and six faculty members, leaving a close-knit community -- and its police force -- still reeling 10 days later."When something like this happens ... it's a police thing. We'll always try to help out neighboring towns. Any time there's a tragedy, we'll try our best to lend a helping hand," said Lt. Bob Kozlowsky of the Shelton, Connecticut, police department.Kozlowsky's department is among those that have helped in the Newtown force in the days since the shooting -- days with a seemingly endless procession of funerals, with families trying to bear up under unbearable mountains of grief. Days with police work still to be done."We've sent officers, dispatchers, and even our chief of police has gone to Newtown to help out. We've helped with dispatching, traffic, miscellaneous calls. Our chief of police has gone to assist their chief of police with administrative duties."Amid a world elsewhere of holiday festivities but with one community in Connecticut lost in shock and mourning, officers from towns with names such as Monroe, Brookfield, Danbury, Bethel and Milford have given Newtown the gift of their time and their work.On Christmas Day, those neighborly officers will take to the streets of Newtown again. For a time, for a day, it can be Christmas for the officers of Newtown and their families."It's important to help out," said Officer Jeffrey Nielsen of the Milford police department. "We'll continue to provide help as long as they need it."CNN's Laura Ly in New York contributed to this report.
Details continue to emerge about what precisely happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Here is a timeline of events that compiles the latest reporting.
An interactive tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. December 21, 2012 -- Updated 1717 GMT (0117 HKT) 
Growing up in Louisiana and Texas in the home of a part-time deputy sheriff, guns were a constant presence in Robin's childhood.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1517 GMT (2317 HKT) 
Amid the chaos that first-responder Ray Corbo witnessed on Friday, there is one image that he will never forget.December 20, 2012 -- Updated 1502 GMT (2302 HKT) 
In many ways, Josh Stepakoff's childhood came to an abrupt halt at 10:49 a.m. on August 10, 1999. December 20, 2012 -- Updated 1440 GMT (2240 HKT) 
When Lauren Rousseau's boyfriend wakes up, he can smell her perfume. December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1537 GMT (2337 HKT) 
Friday began with the mundane. A chilly December day, Christmas on many residents' minds.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1530 GMT (2330 HKT) 
Placing yourself in the path of flying bullets to protect innocents. It's a job description fitting for a soldier or police officer, but not for a school teacher.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1519 GMT (2319 HKT) 
Ken Henggeler poured his grief into the thing he loved most: carpentry.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1432 GMT (2232 HKT) 
Bob Skuba is a whirl of energy. Outspoken, loud and opinionated, he's the embodiment of East Coast bravado. December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1045 GMT (1845 HKT) 
Robbie Parker has a message for the family of the gunman who killed his 6-year-old daughter and 19 of her school mates. December 21, 2012 -- Updated 1646 GMT (0046 HKT) 
Learn how to help the victims and families affected by the Connecticut school shooting tragedy.
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