GMP officers and staff recognised at Chief’s Annual Awards

The Chief Constable’s Annual Awards 2023 took place on Friday 13 October, with teams and individuals recognised for their achievements over the past year.

With 18 categories in total, the awards look to highlight shining examples of best practice, bravery, and teamwork across all levels and areas of the force.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson was responsible for deciding the individual category winners, as well as the winner of the Overall Award.

CC Watson said: “Friday night’s event shone a light on the fantastic work being done by teams and individuals across GMP as we look to progress from being the most improved force in the country to the best force in the country.

“As I read through the details of the work of the nominees for each of the categories, I felt incredibly proud to be the Chief Constable of this resurgent organisation – and I had that feeling again on the big night itself.

“These award winners are leading by example, delivering the level of service we expect and are expected to provide the communities of Greater Manchester.”

See full list of award categories and winners below:

• Overall Award and Criminal Investigation of the Year: Rochdale CID’s Operation Cardington team – Detective Sergeants Ruth Thompson, Tim O’Callagan and Rick Shelton, Detective Constables Marshall Trower, Russ Clarke, Mel Jeffery, Rachael Stafford, Georgina Jones and Hannah Havard and Intelligence Support Officer Kelly Parkinson
  
  A complex DA and sexual offences investigation into dangerous offender Andrew Ellison, who was recently jailed for 28 years.
  
  
• Apprentice of the Year: Safer Transport Team Business Administration Apprentice Dominika Majdziak
  
  
• Bravery: Trafford Neighbourhood Policing Team officers – Sergeants Marc Foster and Tim Ansell and Police Constable Marcus Wolstencroft
  
  
• Cadet Leader of the Year: Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Leader Garry Joynes
  
  
• Cadet of the Year: Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Head Cadet Toby Parker
  
  
• Innovation: Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch (FCCO) Marple implementation team – Crime Recording and Resolution Unit (CRRU) Business Lead Rebecca Greaney, CRRU Manager Kristopher Langdown, Digital Policing Programme (DPP) Sergeant Adam Frank, DPP Police Constables Mark Jones, Dominic Ginty and Mark Harrison and Change Project Manager David Millington
  
  Marple is a new crime recording product which allows for more efficient crime recording.
  
  
• Operation of the Year: Operation Wolverine – Sergeant Mike Lawrenson and Police Constables Myles Edwards, Joanne Ferguson, Martin Reynolds, Mark Bateson, Ryan Davies and Wayne Redfearn, PCSOs Maria Hughes and Claire Broome and Administration Assistants Gary Bolton and Hazel Smith
  
  An operation to address criminality and fraud in relation to vehicle insurance and driving licence offences, particularly concentrating on the reduction of serious collisions.
  
  
• PCSO of the Year: Wigan PCSO Michelle Ashurst
  
  
• Police Officer of the Year: Stockport Response Police Constable Tracy Hallworth
  
  
• Proactive Investigation of the Year: Operation Somerled team
  
  The largest UK mainland drugs seizure.
  
  
• Problem Solving: Operation Vulcan – Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, Detective Chief Inspector Jenny Kelly, Detective Inspector Christian Julien, Inspector Andy Torkington, Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, Sergeant Dan Cullum, Detective Constables Rob Smith and Peter Williams, Temporary DCs Vanessa Gilbert, Rachel Gill and Matthew Bowling, Investigative Support Officers Nick Price, Neil Ingram and Libbi Anderson, Police Constables Antony Rushton, Jamieleigh Clark, Simon Pymm, Saad Khan, Matthew Kech, John Galloway, Jennifer Burd, Lewis Boucher, Adam Challenor and Nick White, Major Incident Analyst Cain Ashton and Media Officers Fleur Armitage and Abigail Richardson
  
  A long-term approach in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways to tackling counterfeit products, enforced labour, serious violent crime, money laundering and organised exploitative immigration.
  
  
• Staff Employee of the Year: Procedural Standards Forensic Specialist Hannah Marney
  
  
• Special Officer of the Year: Bury Special Constable Adam Duffy
  
  
• Student Officer of the Year: Bury Detective Constable Morgan Skeels-Caldwell
  
  
• Team of the Year: Bolton Neighbourhood Priority Crime Team (NPCT) – Detective Inspector Jon Waywell, Detective Sergeant Carla Deighton, Detective Constable Simon Swann, Sergeant Sarah Dixon and Police Constables Kiernan Bishop-Phillips, Matt Cookson, Joel Dalton, Jack Shaw, Emma Critchley, Georgia Ashcroft, Hannah Kirk and Sam Burgess
  
  
• Unsung Hero: Nexus House Catering Assistant Sophia McCurrie and Design Studio Manager Jay Ashworth
  
  
• Voluntary Police Cadet Unit of the Year: Bury Volunteer Police Cadet Unit – Volunteer Cadet Co-ordinators Inspector Ryan Page and Police Constables Tim Heap and Claire Wright and Volunteer Cadet Leaders PC Luke Woodcock, Special Constable Steve Bolton, Dr Rebecca Page and now retired Comms Operator Allister Taylor
  
  
• Volunteer of the Year: Bury Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Dorothy Stoddard

We will be celebrating some of the winners individually over the next few weeks, with further detail on their fantastic work.