Local McDonald’s owners Melanie and Mike Roach chose to give back to officers who protect and serve the community.

All three local McDonald’s locations offered a free meal to personnel of the Vicksburg Police Department and Warren County Sheriff’s Office during regular business hours Tuesday.

“They started coming in at 6:30 a.m.,” Melanie Roach said.

She said all the law enforcement personnel she had a chance to talk to have been very thankful and grateful for the offer, which she called a very small token on appreciation.

“They deserve so much more,” Melanie Roach said.

She had the idea shortly after the shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas, and as tensions have heightened around the country and the world, it became apparent to her that she had to do something.

“After the Dallas shootings my husband and I discussed doing something to reach out to our local law enforcement, and unfortunately after that it started spiraling worse and worse,” Melanie Roach said.

It was important to her to show support for officers because they are the people who are called when things start to go wrong.

“Basically it’s a thankless job,” Melanie Roach said.

The Vicksburg community, she said, has been very positive toward the restaurant owners about their decision to show appreciation for officers through a free meal, and she felt good about the number of officers who took advantage of the offer Tuesday.

Vicksburg police officer Stanley Williams heard about the appreciation day when he arrived at work Tuesday. He thought it was an awesome gesture for the business owners to show towards law enforcement.

“They’re showing their appreciation, but you know we appreciate them and what they’re doing for us,” Williams said.

Melanie Roach said she hasn’t put a number on how much money this will cost her business.

“(A) very insignificant amount for the gratitude we have toward them,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to quantify a dollar amount, but it doesn’t play any role in our decision to do it.”

She wants to make the free meal offer a more regular occurrence and is working with her husband to set up a monthly officer appreciation day.

“I do believe we could do this once a month on the third Tuesday of every month to show law enforcement our gratitude,” Melanie Roach said.