Jog On campaign tackles harassment of female runners

Surrey Police has relaunched its Jog On campaign after recording more than 100 incidents of sex-based harassment since new legislation came into force in April of this year. 

The campaign forms part of the Force’s ongoing commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), improving feelings of safety in public spaces and ensuring women can exercise without fear of intimidation or abuse. 

Since 1 April, we have recorded 105 incidents under Section 4B of the Public Order Act 1986, which introduced an offence of using threatening behaviour, language or graphics to cause intentional harassment, alarm or distress on account of sex. The reports are helping officers build a picture of offending across the county, identify potential hotspots and inform targeted activity to challenge behaviour and prevent further offending.  

The new offence strengthens the law and the powers available to police, now carrying a maximum of two years’ imprisonment on conviction.  

Surrey Police takes a zero-tolerance approach to harassment directed at women and girls. Behaviour that may be dismissed as minor or ‘just banter’ can have a significant impact on those targeted, and it is important that inappropriate behaviour is challenged before it continues, repeats or escalates. 

Building on the work launched in 2025, phase two of Jog On will continue to see officers take a proactive approach to identifying and challenging inappropriate behaviour towards women and girls running in public spaces, alongside engagement with local running clubs and communities to better understand their experiences. 

Tactics have been developed and shaped from our already established work combatting VAWG within the night-time economy, which sees plain clothed female officers working alongside uniformed colleagues to identify predatory behaviour in bars, clubs and town centres, and intervene early on. Jog On uses the same approach and involves plain clothed female police officers going out jogging in key locations. If they are subject to harassment, there are support crews on hand nearby to assist and deal with perpetrators. 

These operations can take place at any time of day and are designed to be varied and unpredictable. 

Of the 105 incidents recorded between April and October 2026, 17 remain under investigation and two cases have resulted in a charge under the recorded offence, one further case resulting in a charge for an alternative offence and four cases being dealt with through community resolution.  

Every report of an incident allows officers to build intelligence, identify patterns and assess the appropriate action to take.  

T/Inspector Nicola West, one of the Force leads for the operation in West Surrey, said: “No woman or girl should feel intimidated, harassed or unsafe simply because she has chosen to go for a run.  

“Jog On is about taking a proactive approach to this behaviour, challenging those responsible and making clear that harassment is not something anyone should have to accept as part of their everyday life.  

“We want women and girls to feel confident reporting what has happened to them. Every report gives us an opportunity to better understand experiences, identify patterns and inform our approach to how we can respond and tackle offending.  

“The introduction of the new legislation provides an important opportunity to reinforce that intentional sex-based harassment can have serious consequences and we will take robust action where offences are identified. 

“Alongside our operational activity, we are listening and working with local running clubs to understand their experiences and ensure our activity is informed by the places and the people affected.”  

Harassment, intimidation and abusive behaviour directed at women are not harmless or simply “banter”. Such behaviour can affect women’s confidence and their freedom to use public spaces, and we are committed to challenging offending and preventing it from continuing or escalating.  

We encourage anyone who experiences harassment or witnesses an incident to report it to us online via our website or by calling 101. Always call 999 in emergency.  

Anyone who feels unsafe in a public space can also use StreetSafe to anonymously report locations where they have felt unsafe. This information helps police and partners identify potential problem areas and inform work to improve public safety.  

Jog On is an initiative that forms part of a force-wide priority to tackling violence against women and girls in Surrey. A focus on this crime type is embedded as part of Our Plan and neighbourhood teams build this into their local policing approach, through enforcement and engagement activity.  With every crime report we receive, we’re committed to delivering a victim-centred approach and engage with local partners to ensure accessible specialist support for those affected. Proactively identifying and targeting perpetrators is key, whether through standalone operations or managing high-harm perpetrators alongside other agencies.