Latest news with #JonVale
Spectator
3 days ago
- Spectator
The real problem with Surrey's cat-calling crackdown
When I was young, the song 'The Laughing Policeman' always spooked me a bit; I've grown out of most fears, but this one if anything has grown over the decades. Because never before has it seemed more obvious that the police are amusing themselves with us – and the end results, far from beingamusing, are really quite scary. Never mind, ladies – there's going to be a crackdown on wolf-whistling, that'll keep you safe As taxpayers, we pay the police a lot of money to solve crimes and catch criminals. But it appears that we are not exactly getting bang for our buck, with criminal behaviour becoming ever more acceptable and the police response less reliable. The epidemic in shoplifting is often cited, culminating recently in a North Wales shopkeeper putting up a sign saying 'Due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets'. Only then did a policeman visit, having been alerted by a somewhat over-sensitive member of the public claiming that the sign was 'provocative and offensive'. There is a feeling that police are scared of actual criminals and far prefer to bully law-abiding citizens for stating obvious truths about the impossibility of a man becoming a woman or singing Christian songs in the street. The 'mind the grab – phone-snatching hotspot' tape which has recently appeared on the kerbs of Oxford Street as part of an initiative by the electronics shop Currys is the latest apparent surrender by the forces of law and order to the criminal fraternity. You'd think that it would be all hands on deck to catch these scumbags. But apparently we have so much spare police-power that LBC radio recently reported on an extraordinary phenomena whereby undercover female cops have been dressing up in skintight lycra and jogging through public parks in order to attract cat-callers – who then get a scolding by a nearby crack-team of nags, presumably concealed by bushes. A spokesperson for Surrey police tutted: 'These behaviours may not be criminal offences in themselves, but they need to be addressed.' The Free Speech Union quite rightly dubbed it a 'bizarre social-psychology experiment' but the rozzers in question insisted that the prank would help protect women and girls in public and that the trial, which lasted a month, led to 18 arrests for offences such as harassment, sexual assault, and theft. Inspector Jon Vale, of Surrey Police, told LBC that the aim was to deter offenders: 'One of our officers was honked at within ten minutes – then another vehicle slowed down, beeping and making gestures just 30 seconds later. 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.' What a shame none of his colleagues in the Met thought to deter PC Wayne Couzens on his 'escalation' on the way to the murder of Sarah Everard. (The fifteenth woman killed by a policeman – that we know of – in 12 years.)He exposed himself three times, with witnesses reporting registration details of vehicles he used, but police took no action, leaving him to continue as a serving police officer affectionately known as 'The Rapist' to his colleagues. As Ruth Davison of Refuge said at the time of his sentencing, 'Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent exposure. His car number plate was given to Met police officers, who should have carried out the correct checks to identify him as a serial sex offender and working within the force. He should have been immediately suspended from duty and investigated. Instead this didn't happen and he was free, just days later, to escalate his behaviour and murder Sarah Everard using his status as a police officer, utilising handcuffs and his warrant card to coerce Sarah into getting into a car with him.' The police have always been the most sexually sinister of the services which are ostensibly there to protect the public; their startling misogyny includes everything from using images of stalked, attacked and murdered women as their own private pornography stash to the brotherly solidarity they showed to the grooming gangs, ignoring the terrified children who summed up the courage to report their rape and torture, sometimes to the point of arresting the girls themselves for 'disorderly behaviour'. Does the police force attract nasty men in greater numbers than other professions? The paraphernalia which might attract sadists is there: uniforms, handcuffs, truncheons and tasers. One of the reasons why broad-minded people like me feel uneasy when we see photos of policeman happily appearing alongside men in extreme fetish-wear at Pride marches is that we are instinctively aware that if people find it OK to parade their sexual kinks in broad daylight, it tends to make civil society far less civil for women and children. So is Surrey Police's -alling project a kind of penance? Perhaps, but I think it's far more likely to be our old mate the 'wokescreen'. Pay lip service to protecting women and girls while simultaneously being an enthusiastic part of a legal system which seems increasingly to find actual violence against women and girls really rather trivial. Remember the embarrassing about-face Labour had to perform about enquiries into the Muslim rape gangs after Lucy Powell said they were a 'dog whistle'. She couldn't be sacked by Starmer as he'd already referred to people calling for a new inquiry into the gangs of jumping on a 'far-right bandwagon' back in January. The grooming gangs have gone quiet, though one would have to be a certified half-wit to believe they've shut up shop. The focus now is on freelance sex attackers. Witness the women of all hues who have been protesting outside the migrant hotels, which house charmers such as Aron Hadsh from Eritrea, who sexually assaulted a young woman with learning difficulties – and was handed a 14-month prison sentence. Never mind, ladies – there's going to be a crackdown on wolf-whistling, that'll keep you safe. Don't you worry your pretty heads about the fact that each day sees more men pouring into this country whose misogyny is easily as Medieval as that of their co-religionists in Rotherham. As Alex Phillips has pointed out, many of these men are brought up in segregated societies which see a woman who shows her legs on a sunny day as basically asking for it. Before it went wet, Private Eye ran a spoof headline on the increasing briefness of jail sentences for homicides: 'KILL NOW AND WIN A FORD FIESTA', I think it might have been, which might be updated to 'RAPE NOW AND WIN AN E-SCOOTER'. If I had to make a modest proposal, in the Swiftian style, to solve this country's cataclysmic crime problem, I'd suggest jailing those of us who don't break the law, and letting loose those who do. It's already started, with the government letting out woman-beating men to make room in prison for women who post things on social media disapproved of by the state. It's a dystopia worthy of Dick – where words are literally violence but actual violence is no big deal. The thought-police will police our minds while our mere bodies will be left to defend themselves. Regrettably, the philosophy of too many of those whose job it is the protect the public and punish the criminal appears to be the modish mantra 'Forgive and forget'. Forgive the criminal and forget the victim, that is – especially if the victim is female. Scolding a couple of honey-trapped cat-callers is going to do nothing to put this right.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
A jogger in San Antonio, Tex., runs at dusk in this photo from July. Undercover female police officers in the U.K. have been posing as joggers for the last month, running in areas identified as high-risk.
Female runners are often told to run in groups, run with a dog, run in a well-lit area, run without earbuds, run with a whistle, run with tech, run varied routes, and — despite the fact all this advice might make them even more fearful — to also run assertively, standing tall and swinging their arms with purpose to not appear vulnerable. As experts have previously pointed out, there's a lot of onus on women to stay safe in public spaces. And that's likely part of why a new police campaign in the U.K., which is aimed at stopping people from harassing women runners in the first place, is getting so much attention. For the last month, undercover female police officers in Surrey, a county in southeastern England, have been posing as joggers in areas identified as high-risk. If they experience harassment, including cat-calling or sexually suggestive comments, a support team steps in. "The change I'd like to see is for people to recognize that it's not right. It's not just a small act. It's a thing that can make someone feel really quite uncomfortable," said Const. Abby Hayward, one of the officers who went undercover, in an Instagram video posted by Surrey Police. CBC News has contacted Surrey Police and has not heard back. But according to local news outlet LBC News, Surrey Police made 18 arrests in the last month in its operations, including the jogging patrols, to tackle violence against women and girls. "One of our officers was honked at within 10 minutes," Surrey Insp. Jon Vale, who runs the operation, told LBC News on Wednesday. "Then another vehicle slowed down, beeping and making gestures just 30 seconds later. That's how frequent it is." The initiative has made headlines around the world and elicited strong reactions online. But amid a wave of both praise and criticism, with the U.K.'s Free Speech Union reportedly calling it a "bizarre social-psychology experiment," some experts say the campaign misses the point and raises new concerns. "I don't want to downplay how unpleasant or scary these moments can be, especially for joggers who just want to stay in the zone without dealing with obnoxious men," Ummni Khan, an associate law professor at Carleton University in Ottawa who researches gender, sexuality and the law, told CBC News. "But I worry about directing resources this way ... [and] reinforcing stereotypes of who is 'dangerous.'" Women frequently engage in 'safety work' on runs Running is arguably one of the most rewarding physical activities, with time spent outdoors, a sense of personal accomplishment and a supportive community cheering you to push just a little faster or tiny bit further. But for many women, the rewards are tempered by the potential risks. An empirical study published in May in the British Journal of Criminology, for instance, found "high levels of abuse" reported by female runners, ranging from verbal comments to being physically and sexually assaulted. "Although women rarely report incidents to the police, their frequent experiences lead to the normalization of abuse, high levels of fear and women runners engaging in significant 'safety work' in order to avoid such intrusions," wrote the authors. WATCH | Many women report they're afraid to run on trails: Another recent U.K. survey found that 70 per cent of women said they experienced an intimidating incident while jogging, such as being followed or honked at. An Adidas survey in 2023 found that 92 per cent of 4,500 women in nine countries reported feeling concerned for their safety when they go for a run. According to Statistics Canada data released in 2019, one in three women reported experiencing unwanted sexual behaviour in public. And survey data released by the Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF) last summer found that just 32 per cent of women said they felt safe walking or running on or in a recreational trail, park or forest, compared to 61 per cent of men. It's a fact that women are disproportionately affected by gendered violence, said Jean Ketterling, an assistant professor in the women's and gender studies program at the University of Saskatchewan, and a runner herself. While the Surrey Police campaign doesn't put the onus on women to prevent violence against themselves by changing their behaviour, Ketterling also doesn't think it's going to be particularly effective. That's in part because it doesn't address the deeper issues, she said. "It focuses on individual perpetrators, not the structural conditions that make such violence quotidian, especially in intimate and family relationships," Ketterling said. "While I agree that education is an important part of the solution, I want to see resources go to quality, comprehensive sexual health education done in classrooms by trained and well-resourced educators." The problem with 'catching' harassers Surrey Police explained in a news release that harassment is significantly under-reported. Insp. Jon Vale said they'd already made a "number of interventions following reports of harassment of our plainclothes runners." "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," he said. And many people online have expressed enthusiasm for the campaign. "We need this! I've had two catcalls this week while out," wrote a commenter on a recent Instagram post from Canadian Running Magazine.. "Police everywhere: make this a widespread practice, please. So much violent stranger crime against women originates in men following and harassing women in the wild," wrote Elle Kamihira, a women's rights podcast producer, on X. WATCH | Victoria's Queer running club aims to race past exclusion: Khan, with Carleton University, said catcalling or street interactions can be experienced as deeply invasive, frightening and unwelcome. But she has concerns about the approach of using undercover police to "catch harassers," explaining that these kinds of interventions risk disproportionately targeting lower-income and racialized men, as well as reinforcing "stranger danger" narratives. Plus, some people may come from places or contexts where greeting one another in public is considered friendly, she added, and women might interpret encounters in a variety of ways based on race, class, identity and past experiences. "A 'good morning,' a compliment, solicitation for a date and even a hateful epithet all get lumped into a single category of harassment," Khan said. "It's reductionist, to say the least."
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Sky News AU
British cops wore jogging outfits to elicit catcalls and then arrested some men who hit on them: report
From catcalls to the doghouse. Female cops in England went undercover as joggers, wearing tight-fitting clothes in a bid to elicit catcalls — and then arrested some of the men who hit on them, according to a report. The Surrey Police Department created a trial task force, which lasted about a month, and led to 18 arrests for offenses like sexual assault, harassment, and theft, the Telegraph reported. The female officers were sent during rush hour to 'hot spots' where open sexual harassment of women is commonplace and pretended to be joggers, the report stated. '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,' Inspector Jon Vale of SPD told the outlet. One of the officers in the group said the harassment she faced during the trial period reflects her everyday experience in Surrey. 'We get catcalled. We get honked at. People slow down just to stare — or lean out the window to shout something. It's so common, but it's harassment and it needs to be recognized as such,' Officer Abby Hayward told the Telegraph. 'This behavior is either a precursor to something more serious — or it's ignorance and it's fixable,' the cop said. 'That's where our interventions come in: to stop potential repeat offenders or help people understand that what they're doing isn't OK.' 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. Originally published as British cops wore jogging outfits to elicit catcalls and then arrested some men who hit on them: report
Irish Independent
5 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.
BBC News
11-03-2025
- BBC News
Redhill: Anti-social behaviour crackdown sees 93 charges
A year-long crackdown on anti-social behaviour in a Surrey town has led to more than 90 charges, police have Safer Redhill scheme is a collaborative initiative to help residents, businesses, the local council and police to reduce criminal activity in the Police said so far, 25 years-worth of prison sentences have been handed out and more people are yet be force's borough commander, Jon Vale, said: "I'm incredibly proud of the efforts of all our partners to address crime in Redhill and help people feel safer." Fiona Oldam and Marlon Williams, work for the YMCA charity in have a bus which was funded by the Safer Redhill Oldam said: "We have games, TV and cooking facilities on board."We go to wherever young people meet and where complaints of anti-social behaviour has been breaking out. "Young people like the PlayStation on the bus but we find most of them just want to talk." 'Safe space' Mr Williams, the lead youth worker for the YMCA, said: "Once you build a rapport with the young people, they are fine."We go out four nights a week in Redhill so it's good for them to have a safe space when youth clubs aren't open."Vaping is a massive topic of conversation at the moment so we want to have chats around subjects to help keep them out of trouble.
