West Mercia Police's undercover initiative, known as Operation Jog On, has uncovered what officers describe as a troubling pattern of harassment faced by women who run in public spaces across Worcestershire.
What the operation does
The scheme places female officers in plain clothes as they run in selected locations. When they are shouted at, followed or otherwise subjected to abusive behaviour, nearby dedicated support crews move in to stop and address the conduct.
Inspector Liz Warner, who helped set up the operation, said she started with the expectation that groups of men encouraging one another might be to blame. Instead, the team found that those responsible were frequently lone drivers, a discovery she described as "quite a dark situation" and worrying for the community.
"For me, that's quite a dark situation, actually, and a little bit concerning," said Insp Liz Warner.
Incidents and scale
Six undercover runs have taken place so far. Harassing behaviour was identified on three of those occasions. Sergeant Kate Clarke, who took part disguised as a jogger in Kidderminster, said the conduct observed could be alarming and in some cases dangerous.
- Examples reported by officers include catcalling, horn-beeping and vehicles deliberately matching the pace of runners — known as pace matching.
- Officers also recounted cases involving physical interference, such as someone being tripped.
- The force intends to expand the operations across the West Mercia area following these findings.
Legal context and community impact
The initiative follows research from the University of Worcester finding that a substantial proportion of female runners have experienced some form of harassment. In addition, an amendment to the Public Order Act in April now allows courts to treat acts that cause harassment, alarm or distress on the basis of a person's sex as an aggravating factor. That change can increase potential sentences to up to two years in serious cases.
Inspector Warner emphasised that the burden of change should rest with those committing harassment, not with women altering how or where they run to stay safe. The force's approach combines plain-clothes monitoring with prompt intervention to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute offenders.
| Operation runs | Harassment identified |
|---|---|
| 6 | 3 |
For local runners, particularly women, the scheme is intended to be a reassurance that police are actively monitoring the problem and taking enforcement action where necessary. West Mercia Police say the work will be rolled out more widely across their force area in the coming months.
Residents with information about incidents of harassment while running are encouraged to contact their local police team so officers can build a fuller picture of the issue and target resources effectively.
