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Remember McGruff the Crime Dog?
McGruff, the Crime Dog, is a fictional character created by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) in 1980. He is a brown, scruffy dog with a trench coat and sunglasses, and his catchphrase is “Take a Bite Out of Crime.”
Jack Keil, a writer, and artist for the NCPC, created McGruff. Keil was inspired by the character of Sergeant Friday from the television show Dragnet. He wanted to create a character that would appeal to children and adults alike and effectively promote crime prevention.
McGruff’s first appearance was in a series of public service announcements (PSAs) on television and radio. The PSAs featured McGruff giving tips on how to stay safe from crime. McGruff was also featured in a comic book series and appeared at crime prevention events across the country.
McGruff’s popularity grew quickly, becoming a national crime prevention icon. He was featured on various merchandise, including toys, clothing, and even lunch boxes. McGruff also appeared in television shows and movies, including The Simpsons and The Drew Carey Show.
McGruff was created to teach children about crime prevention. His messages focused on personal safety, such as locking doors and windows, staying away from strangers, and reporting suspicious activity to the police. McGruff also promoted community involvement in crime prevention.
McGruff was a huge success, and he quickly became a popular icon. He appeared in television commercials, comic books, and even his own cartoon show. McGruff was also featured in several public service announcements, where he would deliver his crime prevention messages in a friendly and informative way.
McGruff’s popularity helped to raise awareness of crime prevention, and his messages have helped to keep millions of children safe.
Here are some of the things that McGruff taught children about crime prevention:
- Lock your doors and windows. This will make it more difficult for criminals to break into your home.
- Don’t talk to strangers. If someone you don’t know approaches you, don’t talk to them and walk away.
- Report suspicious activity to the police. If you see something that doesn’t look right, tell the police.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to who is around you and what is going on.
- Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
McGruff’s messages are still relevant today. Crime prevention is essential for everyone, and McGruff’s lessons can help to keep you and your family safe.
Where is McGruff Today?
You may run across a random McGruff the Crime Dog here and there, but he is not as prolific today for a few reasons.
- Changing social media landscape. McGruff was created in the early 1980s when television and radio were the primary forms of mass communication. Today, people get their news and information from various sources, including social media. This makes reaching a large audience with a single character or message more difficult.
- Shifting crime trends. The type of crime McGruff was designed to prevent has changed over time. In the 1980s, property crime was a significant problem. Today, violent crime is more common. This means that a character like McGruff would need to be updated to reflect the current crime landscape and perhaps carry pepper spray.
- Changing attitudes towards crime prevention. In the 1980s, there was a strong focus on crime prevention. Today, there is more of a focus on law enforcement and punishment. This makes it less likely that there would be support for a character like McGruff, who is focused on prevention.
Despite these challenges, some still believe we need a character like McGruff today. They argue that McGruff’s crime prevention message is still relevant and that he could effectively reach a young audience.
Only time will tell if a new crime prevention character will emerge in the future. However, McGruff the Crime Dog remains a symbol of crime prevention, and his message of taking a bite out of crime is still relevant today.
Here are some additional thoughts on why we don’t have a McGruff the Crime Dog today:
- Cost. It can be expensive to create and maintain a character like McGruff. This includes the cost of developing the character, creating marketing materials, and producing merchandise. If the defund the police sentiments continue, surely a McGruff-type budget would suffer.
- Risk. There is always a risk that a character like McGruff will not be successful. This could be due to several factors, such as changes in the social media landscape or shifting crime trends.
- Lack of support. There may not be enough support for a character like McGruff today. This could be due to a number of factors, such as changing attitudes toward crime prevention or a lack of funding.
Despite these challenges, some still believe we need a character like McGruff today. They argue that McGruff’s crime prevention message is still relevant and that he could effectively reach a young audience.
Only time will tell if a new crime prevention character will emerge in the future. However, McGruff the Crime Dog remains a symbol of crime prevention, and his message of taking a bite out of crime is still relevant today.
Family Guy, the animated television show, featured McGruff and the NCPC on preventing kidnapping in December 2021. An outpouring of fan support followed the re-emergence of McGruff, but he is still far from as popular or widely used as he once was. Supposedly the NCPC has about 4000 costumes circulating around for public appearances. Back in the day, you would see “Take a Bite Out of Crime” commercials daily. But I can’t recall seeing a live-action McGruff for quite a while, and I haven’t seen him on TV in even longer, except for that dumb GEICO commercial back in 2018 or so. Maybe I am just missing them all.
I say we bring him back, full tilt!
As always, be safe and be prepared.
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