Letter From McGruff

Hey folks!

McGruff the Crime Dog here, taking this opportunity to say thank you for helping me "Take A Bite Out Of Crime" for the last 25 years. It's hard to believe I've been around that long. When I started out as a young pup, the rock group Blondie had the number one single with "Call Me," The Dukes of Hazzard was a hit TV show, and Rubik's Cubes were a prime source of entertainment!

In my first print ad, I said, "You don't know me... yet. But you will." Who would have thought that by 1987, just seven years after my introduction, so many people would come to know me? A study at that time found that nearly every child and three-fourths of adults in America could recognize my face and my "Take A Bite Out Of Crime" slogan.

But I didn't gain this fame on my own. I had a lot of help from people like you. Because of your hard work in spreading my message and my public service advertising, the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign (NCCPC), millions of people recognize my mug and follow my advice on personal safety, home security, children's safety, senior citizens' safety, and getting involved in community crime prevention efforts.

In 1980, a group of concerned private citizens and public leaders launched my work. I started out telling people about common sense steps they could take to reduce crime - locking doors, leaving lights on, and letting neighbors know when they go on vacation. Through the years, my messages grew to include protecting youth, watching out for neighbors, and building a sense of neighborhood, creating communities that don't produce crime.

I developed special messages for children, my biggest fans. I want kids and teens to be safe, and I want them to help me. I taught them how to protect themselves against the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Today you can see me in animated public service advertising spots and trading cards teaching kids how to handle bullies, what to do if they find a gun or other weapon, and how to protect themselves when using the Internet. And I must say, I do look pretty cool in the ads - just like I stepped out of the latest computer game. This helps me appeal to today's technology-savvy kids.

Now I've built up quite a list of accomplishments, but I haven't let success go to my head and I'm not resting on my laurels. I'm still a dog in a trench coat with a job to do. I get help from my friends at the Plowshare Group, The Advertising Council, Inc., Saatchi & Saatchi (my volunteer ad agency), and the U.S. Department of Justice. My key group of supporters, the Crime Prevention Coalition of America, consists of federal agencies, national organizations, state and local crime prevention organizations and community-based groups. The good people at the National Crime Prevention Council orchestrate my campaign, write my supporting materials, and promote crime prevention through trainings, technical assistance, public service advertising, and publications.

We have much to celebrate in 2005 - my 25th anniversary and crime's continuing decline! Let's begin the celebration with this special edition of Catalyst. Read on to find out about my roots, my partners, and our successes. See where I've been and where I'm going. Find out how you can celebrate crime prevention and my 25th anniversary as we get ready to tackle crime over the next 25 years! Thanks again and keep up the good work in helping me "Take A Bite Out Of Crime!"