Latest news with #JohnVale
7NEWS
6 days ago
- 7NEWS
Catcalling crackdown: Undercover police officers target harassment hotspots, Surrey, UK
Cat-calling culprits might think twice before yelling out, honking or making gestures at women out for a run, as they might be undercover cops. They look like your average evening joggers — pounding the pavement in running gear, headphones on, dodging the post-work rush. But in Surrey this month, some of those female runners have been carrying more than water bottles. They've been packing badges. As part of a new 'Jog On' campaign, undercover police officers are hitting the streets in a bid to expose the harassment faced by women simply trying to go for a run. Two female officers took to known 'harassment hotspots' in Reigate during rush hour, wearing plain athletic gear but backed by specialist units lurking nearby, ready to intervene. It didn't take long. Within ten minutes, a man in a large truck honked and made gestures out of the window. Thirty seconds later, another vehicle slowed down, beeping and leering. 'That's how frequent it is,' Inspector John Vale told reporters from LBC, who joined the operation. 'Someone slowing down, staring, shouting, even if it's not always criminal, it can have a huge impact on people's everyday lives. It stops women from doing something as simple as going for a run.' Police admit much of the behaviour they encounter — honks, shouts, lingering stares — doesn't always meet the threshold for criminal charges. But the campaign is designed to draw a line in the sand before harassment escalates into something more sinister. The force says it has already made 18 arrests in the past four weeks for offences ranging from sexual assault to theft, with many more 'educational interventions' for less severe incidents. PC Abby Hayward, one of the undercover runners, said the harassment is so common, it's almost background noise. 'It's something many women experience every day,' she said. 'It needs to be addressed.' A Surrey County Council survey of 450 women earlier this year found 49 per cent never reported incidents like catcalling, a stat police say underscores the need for proactive patrols. Critics of the program include the Free Speech Union, which said the tactic was a 'bizarre social-psychology experiment,' and that police should enforce the laws on the books, according to the outlet. With some commenting, 'So it's not actually a crime, but you've assigned a large amount of resources to try and stop it? Why not assign those officers to dealing with domestic abuse or doesn't that look as good on Insta?' But Inspector Vale is unapologetic. 'We have female officers and staff who've been targeted when they're off duty,' he said. 'The message is clear: your actions will not be tolerated. The next time you see a female jogger, just think she could be a police officer with colleagues nearby, ready to stop you.' Surrey Police plans to keep the trainers on and the campaign running a warning to anyone who thinks catcalling is just a harmless pastime.
The Irish Sun
7 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.
