Faces In Prevention

Karen Castillo
Pasadena, CA

Karen Castillo, a sixth-grader in California, has served as a reviewer for NCPC's children's website, www.mcgruff.org, since 2004.  "I enjoy being a reviewer of www.mcgruff.org a lot because I get to give my opinion on what I think about the new games and safety tips on the site," said Karen.  Last year she saw an invitation on the website and immediately asked her parent's permission to become a reviewer. Karen feels that it's an important job because the reviewers are able to help McGruff make the website better and to let him know if the site is missing anything.  She also thinks it's important to let McGruff know if the games are fun and if his advice is relevant for children. 

"I think that kids like McGruff.org because it's fun and he's a great role model," said Karen.  "And they need it because there are lots of tips on the website that can really help people. I bet that many kids have the same problems that the tips address."  In the past, McGruff has been able to make her feel better when she had problems with some of her peers, and she thinks that kids should visit www.mcgruff.org because they can learn how to be safe and what to do in dangerous situations.  "What I like best about McGruff, his nephew Scruff, and Scruff's friends is that even though they are always in tough situations, they always find a way to solve their problems," said Karen. 

In her free time at home in Pasadena, CA, Karen enjoys ice skating, swimming, playing on her computer, and making montages.  "I just like to play outside," she said.  When she gets older, she wants to be a veterinarian so that she can care for sick and injured animals.  For now, her message to Catalyst readers is simple: "Always be safe and do what is right."

Sergeant Salvatore Papa
Camden, NJ

Sergeant Salvatore Papa serves as the Pennsylvania and New Jersey court liaison and has had many years of experience working in crime prevention.  Since his humble beginnings, working from the trunk of his car with homemade props, Papa has been driven by his concern for children. Today, he is responsible for the creation of the premier McGruff Child Safety Program in the port regions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

"Terror comes in many forms but none more terrifying than a missing or abused child," Papa insists.  That is why he speaks to an average of a hundred schools each year, reaching more than 10,000 children annually in both states, and attends countless charitable events to educate children about the dangers that surround them. 

Fresh out of the police academy in 1994, Papa began a career with the Delaware River Port Authority Police Department.  There he established the first Crime Prevention Unit in the region and became a coordinator of the McGruff Child Safety Program for the next decade.  Through research and development, Papa created a curriculum that is fun and interesting, while very effective for teaching children.

"I remember guest speakers when I was a child," said Papa.  "Most of them spoke in a monotone voice and bored the children.  That's why I developed a fun McGruff Child Safety Program with props, videos, participation, and the like to keep it interesting." 

Sergeant Papa receives many letters from teachers, parents, children, and local business leaders praising the program and thanking him for his efforts.  He gives all of his presentations as a volunteer before or after the tour of duty or on his days off, for free. 

"In some neighborhood schools I attend, police are viewed as someone to avoid," said Papa.  "I try to inspire trust in the children that the police are their friends and not foes, and that they can call upon us in a time of need."  It is this persevering attitude that has allowed Papa to create such an outstanding program as well as resurrect the department's defunct Drug/Alcohol Awareness Unit, which serves fourth through ninth grades.