YHROCU Officers Recognised for Exceptional Work in Tackling IP Theft

Two YHROCU officers have been recognised by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) for their work in tackling intellectual property crime prevention.

PC Alex Burnett and PC Richard Wells, from YHROCU Regional Disruption Team, have been recognised by FACT for their “significant impact on the fight against intellectual property crime”.

They attended an awards ceremony earlier this month together with officers and investigators from Merseyside Police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and the National Crime Agency.

FACT held their annual Excellence Awards at Guildhall East, London, to celebrate the exceptional efforts of police and law enforcement individuals across the UK and Ireland in the fight against piracy. The ceremony recognised a total of 12 individual recipients and three teams for their outstanding work in investigating intellectual property (IP) crime.

Other Awardees included Trading Standards officers from Cornwall Council, the London Boroughs of Redbridge and Barking & Dagenham, and the City of York Council's e-crime team.

Team awards were presented to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, Merseyside Police, and the South Wales Tarian Proactive Economic Crime Team for their collaborative efforts in tackling IP crime.

Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, commented:

“These awards are a testament to the hard work and commitment of those who strive to protect intellectual property rights. Each recipient has played a crucial role, and we are proud to honour those who have gone above and beyond in their investigative work.

“The dedication of these recipients has not gone unnoticed. Piracy not only undermines the efforts of creators but also fuels organised crime, posing significant risks to our wider communities. Their exceptional contributions highlight the importance of our collective mission to combat this threat.”