To the editor:

I have been a restaurant owner and resident of Lawrence for over 30 years. Most recently, I learned not to take the people of our community, especially the fine members of the Lawrence Police Department, for granted.

On a Saturday night not too long ago, I was busy serving up dishes and chatting with customers at the restaurant. It was not until closing time that I noticed my car was not parked in its regular spot.

Around 9:50 p.m., I made an emergency call to the police. An officer appeared at the restaurant within 10 minutes of my call. He was highly professional, listening carefully to my account of the incident and taking detailed notes. Although he seemed confident he would find my car, my husband and I were both highly skeptical.

No more than a half hour later, I received a call from the dispatcher informing me that the police had located my car. To my utter astonishment and delight, I realized that I would be in possession of my car within an hour of reporting it stolen!

Although my license tag was stripped and some items were missing, the car itself was intact. The following day, a friend and I found the license tag and keys. The officer called and informed me he had found some items that had been missing from my car.

Of course, I did not want to have my car stolen. However, I now know of the highly skilled, effective and competent officers working in the Lawrence Police Department. Thank you for your service and dedication.