On August 10, 2019, Operator Stephens received a call from a woman in Norwood requesting assistance from the Patrol. She had been scammed out of $9300 and the money was currently en route to Maryland via UPS. She needed help!
Operator Stephens obtained a tracking number from the caller. He then tracked the package and found it was sent next day air and was already on the ground in Maryland. Operator Stephens then took that extra step. He searched the internet to find a UPS store near where the package was scheduled to be delivered. After considerably more searching he located a phone number for that office so the woman could speak with someone at the store. He advised the woman to request of stop on the delivery and request a return to sender.
A short time later the woman called Operator Stephens back to thank him for helping her when no one else could. She had contacted the UPS store, stopped delivery and the money was being returned to her. Stephens encouraged her to contact the area Sheriff’s Department to file a report of the scam operation for further investigation.
Operator Stephens has only been with the Highway Patrol since May 2019. His ability to think outside of the box to help a caller solve an unusual problem at this early stage of his training is extraordinary and very deserving of recognition. Missouri APCO is proud to acknowledge Communications Operator Trainee Jason Stephens as a Missouri Teammate in Action.