LETTER: Thanks to Rye PD & Officer Klein

Resident and MyRye.com reader Anne Mottola says thank you to Rye PD and Officer Klein. And she also warns residents who use the high school track to be aware:

To the MyRye.com Publisher:

I went running Saturday, February 4 at the Rye high school track – something I do regularly since I moved to Rye about 10 years ago. When I arrived, I took off a couple of layers – my jacket and scarf – and put them on the bottom step of the bleachers – the same spot I put my stuff most times when I run there – something many people do when they come to the track. Two different men passed me while I was running – a younger man in a dark sweatshirt, shorts and spandex tights; the other an older man in street clothes – a dark overcoat and jeans.

Most times when I run there, I see people that are familiar to me or even people that I know but on this morning, these were two people I had never seen before.

When I finished my run and was stretching, I noticed that my jacket and scarf we're gone – I was really upset and angry because my jacket had my car/house keys in the pocket. I had a key ring that I got about 30 years ago from University of Virginia and a charm from my daughter that said "I love you to the moon and back."

I found an auxiliary police officer from Rye who called another police officer to come and help me – his name is Officer Klein. He went to make sure my car was still there which it was – thankfully. We searched around the area of track to doublecheck that my stuff was really gone. And since I couldn't get in touch with anyone at home, he drove me there so I could get my back up car key and go down to the station to file a police report.

I know there are much bigger, unsettling and more pressing concerns in the world today than this but I write this letter because it made me very sad to think that someone would do this. I assume it was one of the two men because they were the only two people I saw while I was there. I would've hoped that when they grabbed the jacket and scarf, they would've noticed that there were keys in it and would've put it back. I now have to replace the key and get two new keys and the cost for that is going to be quite expensive – close to $1000 – money I can't easily spend right now.

Thank you so much to Officer Klein and the Rye Police department for their support and help. And for those of you that run or play ball at the track, I suggest you keep your valuables in a safe place when you are there.

Anne Mottola