Latest news with #JogOn
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
TD calls for fines for catcalling and wolf whistling women in public places
A Fianna Fail TD wants new laws to outlaw catcalling and wolf whistling women in public places and for those involved to be fined. The call came just days after it was revealed that UK police sent female officers out on the streets in running gear followed by other uniformed officers ready to tackle those who whistled or made suggestive comments. However it later had to be confirmed that this was an actual police project after many on social media believed it was a send up likening the story to the hit news parody current affairs show The Day Today. Now the TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan has said she hopes the Justice Minister will consider legislation to tackle the problem in this country. She said: "We're a long time talking about it, we're a long time saying that this is wrong and we shouldn't be doing it. And I do believe we need action. 'Yes I'm in government, yes the government hasn't done it - but it doesn't mean I can't push for it. 'I've asked for it before and you know, hopefully Jim O'Callaghan will give us an open ear on this." Deputy McGreehan has long campaigned for tougher measures to clamp down on the harassment of women in public places saying the problem should be addressed through 'awareness, education and legislation'. However it has been pointed out that it would be difficult to prove and then prosecute someone who catcalled or wolf whistled a female on the street. In England Surrey police last week launched the force's Jog On campaign which involved female police officers running in targeted locations, with uniformed officers on hand nearby to deal with perpetrators who catcall or shout sexually suggestive comments. During the operation two people who harassed the runners were educated on street-based harassment and moved on. A Surrey Police spokesperson told the BBC that no arrests had specifically been made as a result of the initiative, but that drivers had been stopped to be educated about their behaviour. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
What are the punishments for catcalling? Police officers pose as runners to tackle harassment
Surrey police said one of their plainclothes officers was catcalled within 10 minutes of starting their run. Female police officers in Surrey have been jogging in plainclothes to catch out catcallers in part of a wider attempt to clamp down on violence against women. The Jog On campaign from Surrey sees the officers, who have volunteered to run, contact support teams if they are victims of catcalling. A support team will then try and talk to the perpetrators and advise them against such behaviour. They said the tactic has been used in Reigate and Banstead but is now being rolled out elsewhere. Inspector Jon Vale said their research shows catcalling is significantly underreported, with almost half of women not getting in touch with police when they were catcalled. He said: "To date, we have made a number of interventions following reports of harassment of our plainclothes runners. In these cases, it was deemed appropriate to provide education around anti-social behaviour. 'For repeat offenders or where the behaviour is more serious, we will robustly pursue all criminal justice outcomes." Vale told LBC: 'One of our officers was honked at within 10 minutes, then another vehicle slowed down, beeping and making gestures just 30 seconds later – that's how frequent it is." PC Abi Hayward, who was one of the officers taking part in the trial, said she was a keen runner said she felt "diminished" and "uncomfortable" whenever she was catcalled. She said: "It makes me feel uneasy, and then instantly it's just ruined my run." What is catcalling? Catcalling is the act of shouting something sexually suggestive to another person. It is usually done by a man directed at a woman. It is a form of harassment, and more often than not, the people involved have never interacted before in their lives. It can be extremely uncomfortable for someone to experience, especially when the catcaller is part of a wider group shouting at a woman on her own. The phrase was first used to describe people who jeered and made disapproving sounds towards theatre performers in the 1600s, but over time, it took on more sexual connotations. Is catcalling a crime? There is no direct law that makes catcalling illegal, but someone who catcalls may be charged with harassment under certain circumstances. In 2023, the government passed a bill that updated laws around harassment to include street harassment as a specific crime for the first time. The specific crime of street harassment was created to encourage more people report when they think they've been a victim of the crime. The new rules criminalised: Deliberately walking closely behind someone as they walk home at night Making obscene or aggressive comments towards a person Making obscene or offensive gestures towards a person Obstructing a person's path Driving or riding a vehicle slowly near to a person making a journey In the wake of the Sarah Everard murder, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) also tightened its guidance on street harassment in 2022. The CPS says in the specific instance of verbal harassment, rather than physical assault, people can be charged under two circumstances. If the intention is to cause (and thereby causing) harassment, alarm, or distress to a specific victim by words or behaviour. Or, a less serious incident of sexually threatening or abusive words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour directed towards a stranger in public. How widespread is the problem? A study published by the University of Manchester in 2024 found that two-thirds of women have experienced harassment while running. The survey, which focused on women in the north east of England, found just 5% of victims reported it to the police. And 68% of the survey respondents said they had experienced some form of abusive behaviour. The most common type was verbal abuse, with 58% of the women who responded reporting that they had experienced this. However, a substantial number of women also said they had been followed while out running (19%), flashed at (7%), or received other types of abuse from men in vehicles (13%). And 82% of them said they were worried about their personal safety when running. One of the women who took part in the survey told The Guardian that when she was on one run, she was followed by a group of "10-year-olds on bikes" who made extremely offensive sexual comments about her. The woman, who only identified as Lucy, said: "What shocked me was that these children had learned this behaviour and thought it was totally OK to do this. It was daytime. At the time, I thought I was OK, but I stopped running shortly after … it made me feel pretty unsafe." How many people have been arrested? Surrey police said they had not arrested anyone specifically in relation to the Jog On campaign, as it was being implemented as a "preventative measure". A spokesperson told Yahoo News UK: "We have used these interactions to educate individuals on how this behaviour can make a woman or girl feel and the consequences, in an effort to prevent future behaviour occurring." They said they had made 18 arrests overall in their increased efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, incorporating other tactics such as the use of plain clothes officers to tackle harassment in nighttime economy venues such as pubs and clubs. Exact figures on how many arrests specifically relating to street harassment are hard to come by. But in a Freedom of Information request in 2023, Dorset Police said they had made 138 arrests relating to the changes to the CPS's advice on street harassment in a 12-month period. Of these, 96 of the arrests related to "intentional Harassment, alarm or distress. What are the punishments? When the specific laws for street harassment were introduced, the punishments were increased from six months to two years' jail time. Stylist reported in 2022 that a man was issued a £100 fine for catcalling in Ilford, believed to be the first time someone was punished in the UK specifically for the offence.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
‘We have made a number of interventions' – undercover police in UK snare street harassers by posing as joggers
Surrey Police are sending female officers clad in civilian jogging gear on runs in 'key locations' around the county as part of new tactics designed to tackle harassment against runners. The force said they recognised the issue was a 'significant worry' for women and girls in the area, labelling it as 'unacceptable'. The campaign has seen support crews accompany female officers who have volunteered to take part from a distance, ready to swoop in if the officers experience catcalling or harassment. The unit said they had made a 'number of interventions' following harassment of undercover officers, which had resulted in 'education around anti-social behaviour'. But the Jog On campaign has attracted criticism from civil liberties group Free Speech Union, which accused the force of 'bizarre social-psychology experiments' and said they should focus on 'enforcing the law'. A Surrey Police spokesperson told The Independent: 'Our priority is not only to tackle and solve crime, but also to prevent it from happening in the first place.' 'We will robustly pursue all criminal justice outcomes' Reigate and Banstead Commander Inspector Jon Vale said: 'We know that this kind of harassment is significantly under-reported thanks to a study carried out by Surrey County Council this year, which revealed that of 450 female residents surveyed, 49pc never reported. 'To date, we have made a number of interventions following reports of harassment of our plain-clothes runners. In these cases, it was deemed appropriate to provide education around anti-social behaviour. 'For repeat offenders or where the behaviour is more serious, we will robustly pursue all criminal justice outcomes. We recognise this is a significant worry for women and girls, and we'll continue to patrol running routes throughout Redhill.' PC Abi Hayward is one officer who volunteered to take part. Speaking in a video on the force's Facebook page, she said she hopes the strategy will help people realise street harassment 'isn't right'. 'It's not just a small act,' she added. 'It's a thing that can make someone feel really quite uncomfortable. I think it's important that Surrey Police are taking it so seriously.' The unusual tactics were first used in Reigate and Banstead and are now being rolled out in different places across the county. Police said the campaign had been inspired by their work in the night-time economy, with undercover cops also used to identify predatory behaviour in bars, clubs and town centres.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Undercover cops posing as joggers to crack down on catcalling by men runners ‘get catcalled within minutes'
'Ask yourself: is this how you would treat or want your partner, mother, sister to be treated?' an inspector warned catcallers JOG ON Undercover cops posing as joggers to crack down on catcalling by men runners 'get catcalled within minutes' A POLICE force sent undercover cops jogging to expose vile catcallers who target women on their runs. Two officers from Surrey Police hit the streets in sportswear to show how often women get harassed while running - and, unsurprisingly, they were "catcalled within minutes". Advertisement 4 Two undercover cops run to expose how often women are catcalled Credit: LBC 4 PC Abby Hayward, who took part in the operation, said catcalling makes her feel 'diminished' and 'uncomfortable' Credit: LBC 4 84 per cent of women have been harassed while running, one survey revealed The operation, first reported by LBC, saw undercover officers jogging through known harassment 'hotspots' in Reigate, Surrey during the evening rush hour. Specialist units were close by, ready to step in if the women faced abuse, Surrey Police said. The two officers were "targeted within minutes" by a man in a large truck who "honked at them and made gestures out the window", according to LBC. "These behaviours may not be criminal offences in themselves, but they need to be addressed," a spokesperson for the force said. Advertisement Inspector John Vale said: "One of our officers was honked at within ten minutes - then another vehicle slowed down, beeping and making gestures just 30 seconds later - that's how frequent it is. "Someone slowing down, staring, shouting - even if it's not always criminal - it can have a huge impact on people's everyday lives and stops women from doing something as simple as going for a run. "We have to ask: is that person going to escalate? Are they a sexual offender? We want to manage that risk early." PC Abby Hayward, who went undercover, said this kind of sexual harassment was a daily reality for women - and leaves her feeling "diminished" and "uncomfortable". Advertisement She said: 'This behaviour is either a precursor to something more serious or it's ignorance, and it's fixable. "That's where our interventions come in: to stop potential repeat offenders or help people understand that what they're doing isn't OK.' Frantic search for missing mum, 49, who vanished from popular UK seaside town as daughter begs 'please come home' Surrey Police said its 'Jog On' campaign - launched just four weeks ago - has led to 18 arrests, including for sexual assault and theft. Inspector Vale said: "We know that this kind of harassment is significantly under reported thanks to a study carried out by Surrey County Council this year, which revealed that of 450 female residents surveyed, 49 per cent never reported. Advertisement "To date, we have made a number of interventions following reports of harassment of our plain clothes runners. "In these cases, it was deemed appropriate to provide education around anti-social behaviour. "For repeat offenders or where the behaviour is more serious, we will robustly pursue all criminal justice outcomes. "We recognise this is a significant worry for women and girls, and we'll continue to patrol running routes throughout Redhill." Advertisement He continued: "This type of harassment isn't just being experienced by communities in Reigate and Banstead, but communities across the whole of Surrey, and it's unacceptable. "We have female officers and staff members who have been the subject to such behaviour when off duty. "The message I would like to impart to perpetrators is this; your actions will not be tolerated. "Please reflect and ask yourself 'is this how you would treat or want your partner, mother, sister to be treated?" Advertisement "The next time you see a female jogger, just think, they could be a police officer with colleagues nearby ready to stop you. Your behaviour is not welcome in Surrey." The campaign faced criticism from the Free Speech Union, who called it a 'bizarre social psychology experiment' and urged police to 'stop hunting pre-crimes'. Other forces have also taken steps to tackle the sexual harassment of women runners by men. In 2022, the Met Police launched a buddy system, with officers accompanying a women's running club in London. Advertisement 84 per cent of women have been harassed while jogging, according to a 2021 survey by Runner's World.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Strides made in Bradford to combat harassment of runners
More than 1,000 people have taken part in a training programme to help tackle the harassment of female runners in Yorkshire Police launched the JogOn initiative in March 2024 after a national survey found 60% of female runners had experienced some form of force said its Active Bystander training helped to identify how people can intervene when an incident is unfolding in front of Insp Nick Haigh from Bradford District Police, who is leading the initiative, said: "Pipping horns, shouting out of car windows and harassing women out running isn't acceptable and will not be tolerated." The BBC has previously reported on how joggers in the city had been victims of regular whistling, name-calling and abuse as they made their way around.A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said the programme had also seen "a number of enforcement operations and tickets issued to anyone who breached the Public Space Protection Order".In October the force said four cars had been seized as part of a crackdown on scheme's success meant other forces across the country were thinking of following suit, the spokesperson Insp Haigh said harassment of female runners "can have a significant negative impact" on them and "can also lead to women avoiding the sport altogether".Horse riders and cyclists have also reported harassment to the police and requested action, the spokesperson Council's portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and community safety, Kamran Hussain, said the JogOn initiative was "both a timely and necessary one"."There is of course still more to do, and we have a strong foundation to build on for the future." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
