Operation Wolverine scoop two awards in October

GMP’s Operation Wolverine walked away with two awards in October as work continues to make Greater Manchester’s roads a safer place.

The first accolade came at the UK Road Offender Education Awards where the team picked up the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s award for ‘Outstanding Contribution for Road Safety’, before winning the ‘Operation of the Year’ award at the Chief’s Constable’s Annual Awards at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

Operation Wolverine was established in 2007 to address loopholes in insurance legislation and specifically target criminality and fraud in relation to vehicle insurance and driving licence offences.

Casualty reduction was identified as a force priority in 2021, with Sergeant Mike Lawrenson was installed into the unit.

Under new direction, the unit adopted a hard ‘disrupt and retain’ stance. Utilising niche powers under road traffic law, the team are seizing and retaining more vehicles, denying criminals their assets and working collaboratively with other departments across the force.

The operation has had a significant positive impact on the communities GMP serve, and the number of road deaths in Greater Manchester has reduced, decreasing by 20 per cent since 2021.

Vehicle seizures have been consistently breaking the 1,000 mark in recent months, with Operation Wolverine playing a key part in those seizures.

You can read more about how ANPR and Operation Wolverine took a record number of vehicles off the road in August here: Over 1,000 vehicles seized in a month with the help of ANPR | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)

Sergeant Mike Lawrenson after picking up both awards said: “Being formally recognised for our hard work and dedication with the Operation of the Year and Outstanding Contribution for Road Safety awards brings an immense sense of pride for every member of the team, past and present.

“There have been some difficult times with the volume of work, which has tripled over the past 18 months in terms of vehicle seizures.

“However, the team have taken it in their stride, and wielded some fantastic results.

“The team have dealt with almost 5,000 people in the past year, and are proud to have removed some of the most dangerous vehicles on the roads from the hands of criminals.

“These awards are a reflection of the hard work each member of Operation Wolverine has put in to achieve the goal of improving road safety in Greater Manchester and denying criminals the use of our roads.

“To be recognised at such a high level almost feels like a personal thank you, and is a career highlight for each member of the team.”