Groundbreaking safety initiative for women runners launched

A new police initiative aimed at improving women’s safety while running outdoors has been launched, with officers joining runners on patrol to tackle harassment and build confidence in public spaces.

The scheme, known as Operation Cadence, has been developed by Catrin Hughes, a neighbourhood policing officer in Rhyl, who is also a keen runner.

The initiative involves officers running alongside members of the local community, including in plain clothes, to identify and address inappropriate behaviour, including misogyny, as it happens.

PC Hughes said the idea came from her own experience of running and recognising the concerns many women face when exercising alone.

“I chose to start Operation Cadence because I recognised that a lot of people – especially women – enjoy running and being active outdoors, but don’t always feel safe doing so alone.

“As a Police Officer and someone who actively runs, I understand how important it is to feel safe when out running and being active. Operation Cadence is about building those relationships, running alongside the community, listening to concerns and promoting simple safety measures.

“I have worked on the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Rhyl since October 2025 and wanted to find a positive way to engage with the community outside of traditional policing settings.

“Rhyl has an active running and fitness community with multiple scenic areas that are used to exercise; I realised running could be a great way to bring people together whilst having conversations about safety and confidence when exercising outdoors.

“As part of the operation, we’re going to be conducting patrols, including plain clothed runs in running hotspot areas, raising awareness of harassment and suspicious behaviour and encouraging reporting of it so we, as Police can take action and tackle it.”

The initiative will also see posters placed in popular running locations, featuring QR codes to allow people to quickly report incidents or concerns.

Feel safe

Jackie Downes, head of local policing services, said the scheme supports wider efforts to tackle violence against women and girls.

“Every woman has the right to feel safe when she goes out to run, exercise or simply enjoy her community.

“This initiative sends a clear message that harassment and misogyny will not be tolerated, and that women’s voices will be heard and acted upon.

“By encouraging female runners to report their experiences, we are strengthening our ability to identify offenders, intervene early and protect those at risk.

“This work directly supports our force priority of tackling violence against women and girls and reflects our commitment to listening to women, taking reports seriously and holding perpetrators to account.”