A police sent an undercover agents jogging to expose despicable catcallers who focus on women on their runs.
Two officers of Surrey Police went on the streets in sportswear to show how often women are harassed during running – and, not surprising, they were “challenged within a few minutes”.
4
4
The operation, reported for the first time by LBCsaw undercover -offices jogging through well -known intimidation “hotspots” in Reigate, Surrey during the evening rush hour.
Specialist units were close by, ready to step in if the women were confronted with abuse, said the police of Surrey.
The two officers were “in a few minutes targeted” by a man in a large truck who “made them honked and gestures out the window”, according to LBC.
“This behavior may not be criminal offenses in itself, but they must be tackled,” said a spokesperson for the Force.
Inspector John Vale said: “One of our officers was honored within ten minutes – when a different vehicle, squeaking and made gestures only 30 seconds later – it was so frequent.
“Someone slows, staring, shouts – even if it’s not always a criminal – it can have a huge impact on people’s daily lives and prevents women from doing something simple as a run.
“We have to ask: is that person escalating? Are they a sexual perpetrator? We want to manage that risk early.”
PC Abby Hayward, who went undercover, said that this kind of sexual harassment was a daily reality for women – and her feeling “reduced” and “uncomfortable”.
She said: “This behavior is a precursor of something serious or it is ignorance and it can be repaired.
“That is where our interventions come in: stop potential repeated perpetrators or help people understand that what they do is not OK.”
The police of Surrey said that the ‘Jog On’ campaign was launched only four weeks ago – led to 18 arrests, including for sexual violence and theft.
Inspector Vale said: “We know that this type of intimidation is considerably reported thanks to a study conducted this year by the Surrey County Council, which showed that of 450 female residents surveyed, 49 percent never reported.
“To date, we have made a number of interventions after reports of intimidation of our normal clothing runners.
“In these cases it was considered appropriate to offer education on antisocial behavior.
“For repeated perpetrators or where the behavior is more serious, we will pursue all criminal results.
“We acknowledge that this is a considerable care for women and girls, and we continue to patrol in running routes in Redhill.”
He continued: “This kind of intimidation is not only experienced by communities in Reigate and Banstead, but communities throughout Surrey, and it is unacceptable.
“We have female officers and staff who have been the subject of such behavior when they are out of service.
“The message I want to give to perpetrators is this; your actions will not be tolerated.
“Please think about and ask yourself:” Is this how you would treat or want your partner, mother, sister to be treated? “
“The next Time that you see a female jogger, think, they can be a police officer with colleagues in the neighborhood ready to stop. Your behavior is not welcome in Surrey. “
The campaign was confronted with criticism from the Free Speech Union, who called it a “bizarre social psychology experiment” and encouraged the police to “stop hunting on pre-misdades”.
Other forces have also taken steps to tackle the sexual harassment of female runners by men.
Read more about the Scottish sun
In 2022, the with Police launched a buddy system, with officers who accompanied a ladies’ running club in London.
84 percent of women were harassed during jogging, according to a survey from 2021 by Runner’s World.
4
#Police #officers #act #joggers #solve #catcalling #catcaled #minutes