Fairfax County, Va. –– Several Fairfax County Police officers were honored last week, including two who helped recover thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise, police said.
Officers Christopher Burbrink and Ryan Lazisky won Officer of the Year awards on Oct. 1, after they investigated a string of crimes that occurred around the Springfield Mall, at an Ulta cosmetics store – where $7,000 worth of merchandise was stolen – as well as a Home Depot store on Franconia Road, said Fairfax County police spokesman Richard Henry.
After collecting evidence and pulling a few stake outs in the areas, Burbrink and Lazisky would arrest two suspects in June.
An investigation revealed the suspects would steal merchandise and then return the items for gift cards. What they couldn’t return they would pawn for half the items’ value at pawn stores, said Henry.
Both officers have also worked to solve other cases, including credit card thefts and fraud.
All the officers were nominated by their superiors and honored by the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce.
Another officer honored, Master Police Officer Brian Murcek, was the recipient of a Continuous Service Award from the chamber of commerce.
A Fairfax County Police officer since 1986, Murcek has trained six recruits, patrolled the Lorton area and helped to open a satellite office near Hagel Circle, said Henry.
Murcek also worked for seven years as a dispatcher, and worked to install a new computer system and software now used in police cruisers.
Detective Brook Ware was also honored as Detective of the Year because of her “superior investigative skills and ability to successfully solve cases.”
Ware developed evidence that led to the arrest of three high school students who were eventually charged in a series of crimes that included a robbery of another juvenile, said Henry.
And Auxiliary Police Officer Curt Velasquez was the recipient of the Auxiliary Officer of the Year award from the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber.
Since becoming an APO in 2008, he has volunteered more than 1,500 hours to the Fairfax County Police Department.
During that time he has worked to enforce sobriety checkpoints, and volunteered during the presidential inauguration in 2009, said Henry.
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