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Sheriff Vic Regalado delivered the keynote address Wednesday morning at a ceremony remembering fallen Tulsa County deputies, offering a religious message of sacrifice for the public good.

Regalado told the small crowd gathered at Chandler Park for the annual memorial service that God expects deputies — often with little or no appreciation — to help those in need.

That entails pulling a motorist over to remind them not to speed in a school zone. Then later knocking on a door to deliver the heartbreaking news a loved one has perished in a wreck.

After their shifts, deputies must go home carrying those burdens and be a husband or wife, a father or a mother. And on top of all that, Regalado continued, God expects deputies to lay down their lives if necessary for people they likely don’t even know.

“I have always been under the belief that law enforcement works directly for God,” Regalado said. “And let me tell you, God is a tough boss to work for.”

Regalado closed his 2½-minute remarks with a reminder that no one should forget those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.