Latest news with #Surrey Police
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Praise and ire as U.K. police pose as joggers to stop men from harassing women on runs
Social Sharing 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: New research finds some women afraid to run on forest trails 1 year ago 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: Victoria Queer Run Club founder Leah Fulton says the group creates a welcoming space for runners at a time when there seems to be less inclusivity in events. 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.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Woman in her 80s killed & six taken to hospital after horror four-car crash included lorry as one arrested
A WOMAN in her 80s has died and six others have been rushed to hospital after a horror car crash involving three cars and a lorry. Police were called to the A23 Horley Road, in Redhill, Surrey, at around 8.30am on Saturday, August 9. An air ambulance transported one passenger, a woman in her 80s, to hospital with life-threatening injuries. She tragically passed away a short while later. Paramedics also rushed six other people to hospital. Surrey Police arrested a 25-year-old man, from East Grinstead, on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. A spokesperson for the force said: "We continue to appeal for witnesses following a fatal collision in Redhill on Saturday, 9 August. "Officers were called to the A23 Horley Road at around 8:30am following a serious collision between the drivers of four vehicles. "The incident happened at the junction with Earlswood Road and involved three cars and a lorry. "A passenger in one of the cars, a woman in her 80s, who was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries, has sadly passed away. "Our thoughts remain with her family and friends. Six other people were also taken to hospital. "A 25-year-old man from East Grinstead was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. "We are looking to speak to anyone who might have witnessed this collision, or anyone with CCTV, dash-cam or helmet-cam footage that may have captured all or part of this incident. "If you have any information that might assist our investigation, please contact us via direct message quoting PR/45250097447." 1 is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Undercover female police pose as joggers to catch catcallers
Undercover police are posing as joggers in a bid to crack down on street harassment and catcalling. 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.' 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, 49 per cent 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. '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,' Inspector Vale said. 'We have female officers and staff members who have been the subject of 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?' '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.'
BBC News
10-08-2025
- BBC News
Man arrested after Redhill crash involving three cars and lorry
Police have appealed for witnesses after a woman, in her 80s, was taken to hospital with "life-threatening injuries" after a crash involving three cars and a lorry in were called to the A23 Horley Road, where it meets Earlswood Road, at about 08:30 BST on Saturday, said Surrey force said the injured woman had been a passenger in one of the cars and six other people were also hurt and taken to hospital.A 25-year-old man, from East Grinstead in West Sussex, has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. Officers have appealed for witnesses and anyone with relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to get in touch.
