Did you know that there are over 4,000 McGruff the Crime Dog costumes in use throughout the United States? The Cedar Rapids Police Department's Volunteer Corps often attends community events with McGruff to promote crime prevention activities.
History of McGruff
In 1978, the Advertising Council, Inc., accepted the mission of helping the nation learn ways to prevent crime. The Ad Council gave the assignment to Dancer Fitzgerald Sample (now Saatchi & Saatchi), which volunteered its creative time and talent. That work was supported and informed by a group of 19 agencies, which formed the nucleus of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America. Today the National Crime Prevention Council manages the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign, featuring McGruff the Crime Dog and his slogan, "Take A Bite Out Of Crime."
Over the years, McGruff has made thousands of appearances at community and school events and on radio and television. His messages have changed from urging personal, family, and home security to more broadly based crime prevention concerns. In 1984, the U.S. Postal Service released a first-class postage stamp bearing McGruff’s likeness. By the mid-1980s, McGruff was encouraging people to join Neighborhood Watch and clean up streets and parks so they’d be less inviting for criminals. During the mid-1990s, the Campaign addressed the effects of gun-related violence on children. Current issues include volunteering, bullying, Internet safety, and identity theft. And now McGruff is tackling issues like cyberbullying and telemarketing fraud against seniors.
For More Information
To check the availability of McGruff to attend your community event, please contact the Police Department Community Outreach Officer at 319-286-5433 or email.
For an interactive kids' page featuring McGruff the Crime Dog, please visit www.mcgruff.org.
For history and crime prevention tips, please visit the National Crime Prevention Council.
