The History of McGruff The Crime Dog

In 1978, the Advertising Council, Inc., accepted the mission of helping the nation learn ways to prevent crime. The Ad Council gave the assignment to Dancer Fitzgerald Sample (now Saatchi & Saatchi), which volunteered its creative time and talent. That work was supported and informed by a group of 19 agencies, which formed the nucleus of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America. Today the National Crime Prevention Council manages the National Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign, featuring McGruff the Crime Dog® and his slogan, “Take A Bite Out Of Crime.®”

Over the years, McGruff has made thousands of appearances at community and school events and on radio and television. His messages have changed from urging personal, family, and home security to more broadly based crime prevention concerns. In 1984, the U.S. Postal Service released a first-class postage stamp bearing McGruff’s likeness. By the mid-1980s, McGruff was encouraging people to join Neighborhood Watch and clean up streets and parks so they’d be less inviting for criminals. During the mid-1990s, the Campaign addressed the effects of gun-related violence on children. Current issues include volunteering, bullying, cyberbullying, Internet safety, telemarketing crime against seniors, identity theft, intellectual property theft and safe firearm storage.

Some Facts About McGruff

• There are 4,000 active McGruffs (number of costumes in use).
• McGruff has a classy Corvette, a monster truck in Arizona, and a wiener wagon in Florida. But most of all, he likes to ride in patrol cars assisting law enforcement.
• McGruff’s favorite crime-fighting techniques are to teach children specific tips to be safe at home and school and to help law enforcement officers do their jobs better.
• McGruff is a “ham,” so he loves doing public service announcements for television and radio or posing for print or billboard advertising.