Tiffany Osborne awarded Joplin’s December Officer of the Month

The Joplin Police Department took to Facebook to award Tiffany Osborne Officer of the Month for December 2023.

Joplin Chief of Police Richard Pearson said her nomination was based on the following: On December 31, 2023, you took a report for fraudulent use of a credit card that occurred at Home Depot in Joplin.

At that time, you were able to contact an outside agency (Quapaw Tribal Marshals) and determine that David Cook had stolen a credit card at Downstream Casino. After the theft the stolen card was used to purchase merchandise at Home Depot, totaling more than $800.00.

At the time of the report there was not enough evidence to establish probable cause against Cook for the unlawful use of a credit card. You continued to investigate the incident, and you were able to collect security camera footage from Home Depot which showed David Cook and Nathan Spencer both used the stolen credit card at Home Depot.

On an unrelated call officers located items that Cook had purchased with the stolen credit card at his residence. Ofc Osborne’s attention to detail and quality work resulted in a search warrant being issued for Cooks residence.

Also on December 31, 2023, you conducted a traffic stop. The driver was so impressed by your professional manner during the encounter he took the time to pass on a compliment. The driver said you were polite, professional, and knowledgeable.

These are just two examples of the quality work you perform every day. You are constantly striving to better yourself and have proven to be a valuable asset to this agency. Officer Osborne, thank you for your service to the Joplin Police Department and the citizens we serve.