DPS Team Members of the Month
December Sworn Team Member of the Month
Brian N. Crawford
Corporal
Missouri State Highway Patrol
December Non-Sworn Team Member of the Month
Elaine Gerstenberger
Veterans Service Officer
Missouri Veterans Commission
Corporal Brian N. Crawford, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop I, is the DPS Sworn Team Member of the Month for December 2025 for his work to locate a 15-year-old girl who had been kidnapped and was being transported through Missouri to Texas.
In August, Brian received word that a Texas man was believed to be traveling through Troop I, where Brian is stationed, possibly with the missing juvenile in his vehicle. Brian initiated a stop after locating the vehicle on I-44 in Phelps County. After questioning the 27-year-old driver, Brian located the girl hidden behind a comforter in the trunk of the vehicle. The suspected sexual predator has been charged in Illinois, where the girl was abducted, with kidnapping, grooming of a child and interfering with custody.
Brian’s prompt action and thorough investigation prevented a predator from taking a 15-year-old girl hundreds of miles from her family. The charges are mere accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Elaine Gerstenberger, a Veterans Service Officer with the Missouri Veterans Commission, is the DPS Non-Sworn Team Member of the Month for December 2025 for the outstanding outreach and support she provides to assist veterans who may be missing out on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to which they are rightfully entitled.
Recently, a Missouri veteran, who says he has been battling the VA since 2012, wrote to MVC to praise Elaine’s work on to obtain the disability benefits to which he believes he is entitled. Referred to Elaine by his VA doctor, the veteran says that unlike in the past, Elaine quickly met with him and “to my delight I have never been treated with such a sincere caring person that honestly cared about my concerns.”
This veteran’s experience with Elaine is typical because of her empathy for veterans and their families. Elaine is known throughout the Cameron area, where she works that the MVC Veterans Home, for her stellar work on behalf of veterans, her willingness to put in long hours at outreach events throughout her service area, and for her genuine concern for the veterans who have done so much for our nation.
Congratulations to both Team Members of the Month! You have set an outstanding example for your co-workers throughout the Department of Public Safety.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety. Many Missions. One Team.