A British police department has completed a one-month pilot program that had female officers dressing in running gear and hitting the trail as a means to arrest men who inevitably harass, assault or whistle at the women.

According to a report in the U.K.’s Economic Times, Surrey Police have arrested 18 people in the undercover operation aimed to curtail the harassment of women exercising in public. The female officers jogged in identified harassment hotspots during rush hour, allowing specialist units to intervene quickly when abuse occurred.

The paper notes that the scheme focused on catcalling, unwanted gestures and other behavior officers say can escalate to more serious sexual offenses. Offenders were arrested for crimes including harassment, sexual assault and theft.

Some incidents resulted in “educational interventions,” while repeat or serious offenders were pursued through the criminal justice system, reports the Economic Times. One undercover officer, Abby Hayward, said the abuse she experienced during the operation reflected “a daily reality” for women.

The Guardian quoted her as saying, “This behavior is either a precursor to something more serious, or it’s ignorance, and it’s fixable. That’s where our interventions come in. …”

A University of Manchester study last year found over two-thirds of women runners in northwest England had faced harassment, while a Sport England report suggested almost three-quarters of women adjust their exercise routines during winter to avoid risk.

Some responses to the pilot program on X claimed that men who are part of the immigrant community are more apt to harass women exercising in public. Posted the popular users “amuse”: “Instead of tackling the Pakistani rape gang crisis, British police are entrapping British men by having female officers dress in sexy tights and arrest the men brave enough to hit on the officers charging them with sexual harassment.”

Another commenter noted: “Back in the ’70s and ’80s, many of us would have thought that these skin-tight running clothes (and everyday wear) were scandalous or eliciting of lasciviousness. What is happening to British elite that they feel a need to entrap or attack men (who are sinful or not)?”

According to the Independent, civil liberties group Free Speech Union accused the police force of “bizarre social-psychology experiments” and said law enforcement should focus on “enforcing the law.”

A Surrey Police spokesperson told the paper: “Our priority is not only to tackle and solve crime but also to prevent it from happening in the first place.”