Woman urged to report catcalling to 999 by police commissioner

'Whether it’s the unintelligible jeers I just got while walking a dog, or the horrific rape threat a few months ago, I’m SO fed up'

Rebecca Broad met with Alison Hernandez to discuss the issue. (Screengrab/BBC)

A woman who was catcalled on the street was advised by a police chief commissioner to report the incident to 999 if she felt threatened.

Rebecca Broad was walking her dog in Exeter when someone catcalled her from a passing car.

At the time, the 24-year-old tweeted: "Is anything being done to tackle catcalling in Exeter (or nationwide)? Whether it’s the unintelligible jeers I just got while walking a dog, or the horrific rape threat a few months ago, I’m SO fed up. Not yet managed to recover from the shock quickly enough to record car regs."

When her complaint was pointed out to Alison Hernandez, the Devon and Cornwall police commissioner, she wrote: "I would suggest Rebecca call 999 next time if she feels threatened while out and about. And to definitely report time, location and any description she has for what has already happened via the many methods."

Ms Broad responded by saying she had not considered reporting the incident.

"Wow - didn't even think to do this. I guess that shows how ingrained it is in me to hear comments from cars and bow my head and accept that they're part of walking the streets alone. Thanks for your response, Alison."

In a separate interview with the BBC, Ms Broad said she had met with Ms Hernandez to discuss some of the common misconceptions surrounding street harassment and how it should be handled.

“It really worried me that I experienced this on a regular basis,” the freelance writer and social media manager said.

“I think there’s a lot of attention quite rightly on upskirting and indecent exposure and committing sexual assaults, but what I experience and what most women and children experience on a more regular basis is street harassment.

“Whether that’s catcalls, sexual language, none of it is acceptable.”

Ms Hernandez told the broadcaster that she has also experienced catcalling, adding: “I think there’s a particular need to help educate women to make sure that they do reach out for help if it’s really affecting their lives”.

The police commissioner explained that more needs to be done in order to combat this kind of harassment, suggesting an app on which women could report incidents.

Recalling another incident of catcalling, Ms Broad explained how a man rolled the window down from a passing car “and described precisely how he was going to sexually assault [her]”.

She said that "having that playing on my mind every time I see a car and someone shouting, it’s very difficult not to feel very threatened."

According to children’s charity Plan International UK, 66 per cent of girls and young women have been sexually harassed in public.