Operation Peace of Mind and McGruff Prevent Crime

McGruff is a dog with a mission in Lewisville, TX.

By Jeff Broderson, NCPC Staff

If there’s one character with lots of name recognition around Lewisville, TX, it’s McGruff the Crime Dog! Operation Peace of Mind (OPM), a nonprofit partner of the National Crime Prevention Council, kicked off its Safe Summer Program with McGruff’s help. The Safe Summer Program focused on crime prevention for young people and provided leadership training. McGruff and his many friends helped distribute information about crime prevention to all area residents.

One of OPM’s other successful campaigns is its Youth Network. OPM’s Youth Network aims to install economic, social, educational, and cultural awareness among its members. The network brings together members of diverse backgrounds and, through leadership training and workshops, develops the youth’s ability to succeed in today’s community. One topic focuses on crime prevention. Youths who successfully complete the training are certified as OPM Ambassadors who bring the lessons that they have learned, including those about crime prevention, back to their community. If you are interested in more information on the OPM Youth Network or have a youth interested in participating, click on U.S. Programs at the OPM website.

As a member of the National Crime Prevention Association, Operation Peace of Mind calls on McGruff the Crime Dog to be a part of outreach campaigns like the one in Lewisville. Operation Peace of Mind provides all members of the community, including children, teens, parents, and seniors, with the knowledge they need in order to stay safe from crime and develop safer communities. Its extensive crime prevention-focused website has information on such topics as home safety, identity theft, online safety, bullying, and child safety in addition to links to NCPC’s website for more information and to learn about McGruff. Operation Peace of Mind is a prime example of how a partnership between two organizations striving to prevent crime can be successful.