WATCH: Undercover Female runners Used to Catch Harassers in UK Police Initiative

Police in the British city of Surrey have begun sending undercover female officers out for a jog in everyday sports gear to target men harassing women while they run, an approach that has already led to 18 arrests in its first month.

The tactic, part of a new initiative called “Jog On,” involves plainclothes officers running through known harassment hotspots during peak hours, with support teams waiting nearby. Within minutes of starting, officers say they often encounter catcalling, cars slowing to stare, or drivers leaning out of windows to shout.

Abby Hayward, a police officer who volunteered for the role, said the reality was immediate and familiar.

“We get catcalled. We get honked at. People slow down just to stare, or lean out the window to shout something,” she told LBC. “It’s so common, but it’s harassment and it needs to be recognized as that. It’s either a precursor to something more serious, or it’s ignorance, and it’s fixable.”

The month-long pilot began in after a Surrey County Council survey found almost half of women who experienced harassment while running never reported it.

Offenders caught in the sting have faced a range of outcomes, some were arrested for harassment, sexual assault, or theft, while others were given stern warnings and “serious conversations” about their behaviour. Repeat or more serious cases, police say, are pursued through the courts.

Inspector Jon Vale, who leads the force’s Violence Against Women and Girls Safer Spaces team, says the goal is as much about prevention as prosecution.

“Someone slowing down, staring, shouting, even if it’s not always criminal, can have a huge impact on people’s everyday lives,” he said. “We have to ask: is that person going to escalate? Are they a sexual offender? We want to manage that risk early. You don’t know if the woman you’re harassing is a police officer, and that’s the point. We want people to think twice before acting like this.”

The approach isn’t without criticism.

The Free Speech Union has called it a “bizarre social-psychology experiment” and urged police to focus on enforcing existing laws. Surrey Police maintain that early intervention is a key part of policing and say the campaign builds on their use of undercover officers in bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour.

For many women, the operation addresses a daily reality.

A 2024 University of Manchester study found more than two-thirds of women surveyed in north-west England had experienced harassment while running, including verbal abuse, threats, and objects being thrown at them.

Sport England research the same year showed nearly three-quarters of women change their exercise habits in winter, often avoiding certain areas or times, because of safety concerns.

Hayward believes these conversations and visible interventions are starting to make an impact. In one case, two men stopped by police apologised for their behaviour on the spot. “It meant a lot,” she said. “It shows this operation is working. We’re out here making change happen.”