Female plainclothes police officers have been sent to “run or jog in ‘hotspot’ areas” in an effort to tackle “runner harassment” and cat calling from strangers in Bradford.
The city of Bradford Metropolitan District Council confirmed the enforcement action was taking place in its announcement of the “JogOn to female runner harassment” campaign on Wednesday.
Bradford Council stated that police have “carried out enforcement action sessions across the district by sending female officers out in plain clothes to run or jog in ‘hotspot’ areas.”
The council said it can also enforce its Public Space Protection Order (PSCO), which bans the “anti-social use of vehicles,” including “shouting, swearing at, or abusing, threatening or intimidating another person – including using sexual language or making sexual suggestions” from a vehicle.
Those found to have breached the order can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice or a £1,000 fine.
The campaign comes under the Safer Bradford partnership, which is comprised of Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police, and the NHS.
These Behaviours ‘Will Not Be Tolerated’
The council said harassment “leaves many women feeling scared and intimidated, looking for alternative running routes or changing the times they go out to avoid cat calling, offensive comments and, occasionally, physical harassment.”Superintendent Beth Pagnillo of Bradford District Police said: “People might not think these behaviours are worth reporting but we want to make it clear that these behaviours and incidents can be reported, reviewed and investigated and will not be tolerated.
“With the PSPOs in Bradford, these behaviours can be reported, which could lead to a breach in PSPO, and an offence being committed.
Violence Against Women Needs to Be Treated Like ‘Terrorism’
The announcement follows Sir Mark Rowley, the UK’s most senior police officer, saying that violence against girls and women should be treated in the same manner as terrorism or organised crime.He added, “When you look at the amount of harm that predatory men create in communities and to individuals, that’s what it deserves.”
On Thursday, the Equality and Human Rights Council (EHRC) said the government should do more to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The EHRC said it welcomed the government’s targets to improve the safety of women and girls, but recommended areas it said needed improvement, including tacking violence perpetrated by the police. The watchdog referenced data from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) that said some 1,400 allegations of violence against women and girls had been recorded over a six-month period.
