LAWRENCE — The Lawrence Police Department's auto insurance fraud task force has been cited as one of the nation's top 50 programs in this year's Innovations in American Government Awards.
The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government yesterday hailed the task force as "a collaborative effort that has dramatically reduced vehicular insurance fraud and saved city residents over $15.5 million in annual insurance premiums."
The task force is one of three Massachusetts entries still in the running for two prizes that will be presented this fall.
Also cited were the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority and the City of Boston's Foreclosure Prevention and Intervention Program.
The Ford Foundation created the Innovation in American Government Awards in 1985 in response to widespread pessimism and distrust in government,
Lawrence Police Chief John Romero assembled the task force in the fall of 2003 after the death of a 65-year-old Lawrence great grandmother who died in a staged crash police said she helped plan to scam insurance companies.
