McGruff the Crime Dog Celebrates His 33rd Birthday on July 1, 2013

On July 1, 2013, the iconic symbol of crime prevention McGruff the Crime Dog^® turns 33, signifying more than three decades of delivering crime prevention messages on topics from gang violence and intellectual property theft to cyberbullying and elder abuse. Since his start with the Crime Prevention Coalition of America in 1980, McGruff has encouraged communities around the country to help law enforcement “Take A Bite Out Of Crime^®.”

As a result of a “name that dog” contest, McGruff the Crime Dog got his name from a New Orleans police officer, and since 1982, McGruff has helped the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) raise public consciousness and action on issues regarding personal safety, bullying, school safety, identity theft, and cybercrime, among many other issues. Through television commercials, comic books, live appearances, and more, McGruff has consistently encouraged Americans to take common-sense steps to reduce crime.

There are currently 4,000 law enforcement officers actively portraying McGruff in costume all across the country, empowering people to help keep their families, themselves, and their communities safe from crime. With an 83 percent recognition rate, it’s clear that McGruff is as popular as ever.  Every October, which is Crime Prevention month, communities nationwide use McGruff in their activities and events as part of NCPC’s crime prevention initiative called Celebrate Safe Communities.

In the past year alone, McGruff and NCPC have made several notable accomplishments:

• Hosting NCPC’s first virtual conference on mortgage fraud prevention and sharing new resources for victims of fraud
• Receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue a safe gun storage campaign
• Producing a new public education campaign for their elder abuse prevention campaign
• Entering a partnership with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for an investment fraud education campaign
• Creating a new animated short video on bullying with the Community Oriented Policing Services Office, U.S. Department of Justice, for young children nationwide, which features McGruff himself along with his nephew Scruff®
• Embracing technology in crime prevention through a partnership with AlertID, a service that provides a safe way to receive trusted public safety alerts and share information with neighbors. NCPC and AlertID have collaborated on several press releases throughout their partnership to deliver timely and relevant crime prevention and safety information, such as their recent Fourth of July release.

“AlertID is proud to support the National Crime Prevention Council, and the nationally recognized McGruff the Crime Dog®, in providing important safety information and alerts that help protect children and families across the country,” said AlertID founder, Keli Wilson.