LETTER: Thank You, Wilton Police, for Kindness and Consideration to a Younger Town Resident

To the Editor:

On Tuesday, May 31, while walking my dog just before his dinner, about 5 p.m., I found an expensive cellphone in the tall weeds adjacent to the pavement of our cul-du-sac. Had the dog not been chasing a squirrel I’d never have seen the phone.

The street was quiet, just me and the dog. I picked up the phone for safekeeping and, once home, fed the dog, then drove to Wilton Police headquarters and turned in the found cellphone. Two officers at the reception window assured me they’d try to find the owner.

At about 8 p.m. my front doorbell rang. Standing there were two young kids I recognized from the neighborhood. They sometimes play on the cul-du-sac as it’s much safer than riding their bicycles on the road immediately in front of their house.

Our conversation was polite and direct; they were inquiring about a cellphone they’d set down in the weeds, away from the pavement while they rode their bicycles earlier that afternoon but forgot to pick it up when heading home. They asked if I knew anything about the phone.

After advising them I’d found the cellphone, I called the non-emergency phone number for the Wilton Police Department, all the while keeping my phone on speaker so everyone would be included in the conversation. The officer answering my call was one of the two officers I’d turned the phone over to at the police station. After a few questions from the officer to the young man establishing the cellphone I turned in was actually his, the officer advised it would be best if the kids could have a family member bring them to the station before 11 p.m. to avoid an administrative bottleneck which would hinder a prompt return of the phone to the young man.

When the officer realized the request would be a difficult one for the young man to fulfill, without hesitation he said he’d make arrangements for a patrol officer to bring the phone, that evening, to the young man’s home.

As a 26-year resident of Wilton, I can say we don’t hear enough of these feel-good, place-a-smile-on-your-face stories about the professionals of the Wilton Police Department. They are good people. Thank you!

Michael Salit

Editor’s note: A Wilton Police spokesperson confirmed Mr. Salit’s account, although he said the family was able to come to the police station to retrieve the phone themselves. He also humbly noted that Mr. Salit deserved more credit for resolving the issue. All things considered, we think it’s a feel-good story all around.