Businesses Step Up To Help Bring McGruff to Town

The Pampa, TX, Police Department raised money for a McGruff costume and crime prevention materials with the help of the local newspaper and local businesses.

By Jeff Broderson, NCPC Staff

The Pampa, TX, Police Department needed a little more than $3,000 for a new McGruff costume and related materials—things like Safer Senior Kits; fun, family-oriented safe travel guides for the Internet; and information on bicycle safety. But in just one month, through the help of the local newspaper, the Pampa Police Department received a little more than $5,000 for the cause from four local businesses, according to Officer Stormy McCullar. “There is so much we can do with this,” McCullar said Wednesday. “We were really surprised and want these businesses to know how much we appreciate their contributions.”

With the money from these businesses, Officer McCullar has purchased a McGruff costume, crime prevention materials, and an electronic fingerprinting kit. McCullar believes that crime prevention is a community-wide concern and plans to bring crime prevention into the schools, neighborhoods, local businesses, and senior communities in the area. The Pampa Police Department has yet to receive its costume, but once it does, Officer McCullar plans to get the word out so everyone in the community can learn from their newest citizen—McGruff!