Midnight Hero

A copy of the letter I sent this morning to the Virginia Beach Police Department Division Manager:

Mr. Mitchell,

I found your email address on the city website and I know you probably aren't the right person to send this too, but perhaps you can put me in contact with correct person. I would love to share this story with this police officer's supervisor, but I have no idea who he was.

Last night I got off work at my seasonal job around midnight and went to the ATM to deposit my paycheck. I arrived back at my apartment to finish wrapping a few presents before I went to bed. Around 12:30am (12/21/07) there was a knock at my door. My fiancé is in the Marines and is in CA so I am a little apprehensive about answering my door, especially at that hour of night. My dog was going crazy and I was a little off guard as to who would be at my door so late--as I was reaching for my phone to call the police, I looked outside and saw a police cruiser. There was another knock at my door and I asked who it was and the gentleman announced himself as a police officer. I opened the door and he asked me if I was Kristen Ingram, I said yes, and then he handed me my ATM card and said, I just wanted to make sure you got this back. Apparently in my midnight shift exhaustion I had driven away from the ATM, not only without getting my card back, but also leaving my banking information wide open on the ATM screen. He had pulled into the ATM behind me. Since my dog (a Weimaraner--I'm sure the officer would remember the dog because he commented on her) was going crazy I didn't get the opportunity to get this officer's name or to really thank him properly.

I just want him to know how grateful I really am that he took the time to not only get my card back for me, but to look me up, and promptly return it to me. Not only did he save me from a potential dishonest person gaining access to my account, but had the ATM machine shut-down my access and kept my card--he saved me the hassle of canceling the card and having to order a new one.

I was at the Wachovia ATM on Lynnhaven Parkway, near the Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. I don't know what precinct the officer is in---but last night he was my hero.

Thank you for letting me share this with you and if you can put me in contact with the proper person, I would really appreciate it.

Kristen A. Ingram