Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner has said the “vitriolic” online abuse she faced after an anti-catcalling trial campaign went viral shows why tackling violence against women and girls must remain a priority.

The ‘Jog On’ pilot, launched in the summer, was led by a female police officer who had been harassed while out running. It aimed to address the harassment many women face in public spaces just going about their lives but it sparked fierce backlash online- with some critics questioning whether it was a good use of police resources. 

Ms Townsend, who said she was not directly involved in the campaign, said she received the “most vitriolic messages” on social media and they were the worst she had faced in her time as a PCC. 

She told a Police and Crime Panel on September 4: “The fact that this was the most awful sort of language that I’ve had I think tells you why this work is so important.”

One X (formerly Twitter) user asked her whether the campaign was a waste of Surrey Police’s time, given that catcalling was not a criminal offence. Others said it was a total waste of taxpayer’s money.

Townsend has responded on social media and publicly that early intervention and crime prevention are essential parts of policing, explaining that behaviours dismissed as minor – like catcalling and public intimidation – can escalate into more serious offences. 

The PCC’s comments come as she set out Surrey’s apparent progress against her Police and Crime Plan which says tackling VAWG is a top priority.

Councillors challenged Surrey Police’s record claiming it is not possible to tell whether violence against women and girls has increased or decreased. The volume of violent domestic abuse crimes reported has decreased by 4 percent from 7,995 in June 2024 to 7,673 in June 2025. However, the volume of serious sexual offences has increased by 2 percent from June 2024 to June 2025.

The PCC said: “I hope to see reports of violence against women and girls go up during my term as PCC because we know it is one of the most under-reported crimes in this country, not just in Surrey but right across this country.

“I don’t take an increase in reports as a bad thing. I think everyone that comes forward to talk about an experience that they may not have had the confidence to do before is a good and important thing.

“I don’t expect to see a reduction in reports anytime soon.”