I spent every Christmas walking a plain clothes foot beat on skid row in Los Angeles from 1970 to 1978. Being Jewish, I always volunteered to work on Christmas, even though sometimes I won the holiday days off lottery. That way at least one other officer could spend a holiday with his family.
On Christmas my partner and I did not focus on arresting criminals, but on keeping everyone peaceful....that is, no fighting. So we would not be plain clothes, but would wear our uniforms.
One Christmas Eve, at about 3:00 in the morning we found a homeless, drunk, and very dirty man holding a child, about 18 months old. Four hours later we located the child's parents. The child had been taken from a stroller in a shopping mall about 30 miles away. On Christmas morning at about 8:00 am, I handed the child back to her very teary and overwrought mother. I was warmed in my heart by enabling another family enjoy Christmas together.