WASHINGTON, June 30 /U.S.
Newswire/ -- McGruff the Crime Dog, the trench coat-wearing icon who
has taught millions of Americans how to "Take a Bite Out of Crime,"
celebrates his 25th birthday -- or 175 in dog years. Created by
adman Jack Keil in 1980, McGruff was modeled after famous gumshoes
such as television's Colombo for the National Citizens' Crime
Prevention Campaign to teach straightforward messages about safety
and crime prevention. According to a Department of Justice study,
three out of four Americans think they can do something to prevent
crime, in part due to McGruff's messages over the past 25 years.
McGruff was introduced to
Americans, wearing his rumpled trench coat with his first public
service advertisement saying: "You don't know me...yet. But you
will." And he was right. This spokesdog is recognized as a face of
public safety by 74 percent of adults and 76 percent of kids who
know and trust him.
Since then, McGruff the Crime Dog
has taught millions of people that the police can't do it alone,
starting with basic crime prevention messages about watching out for
your neighbor and "stranger danger" for children. Created pro bono
by Saatchi & Saatchi, the volunteer ad agency that has created the
advertising for McGruff since 1980, the focus of his message has
evolved to address 21st century concerns such as bullying in
schools, cyber-safety, identity theft and even homeland security.
Keil, who also is the
tough-talking voice of McGruff, came up with the idea in an airport
lounge. The dog won out over his other ideas including an elephant
to stomp on crime and a lion to roar at crime. McGruff got his name
in a "name that dog" contest from an officer in the New Orleans
Police Department, winning out over 2,500 other entries such as
Shure-Lock Bones and J. Edgar Dog.
"The McGruff campaign has been a
lynchpin of the public safety movement for nearly three decades,
engaging law enforcement agencies and community residents in
preventing crime," said Al Lenhardt, president and CEO of the
National Crime Prevention Council. "McGruff the Crime Dog is an
enduring figure of crime prevention, but his job is far from over.
With new problems and threats arising, McGruff will remain at the
forefront, urging all American's to help 'Take a Bite Out of
Crime.'"
Did You Know?
-- There are more than 3,000
McGruffs in costume across the United States who appear with local
law enforcement officers at hundreds of events each year.
-- McGruff has been featured as
the topic of questions on Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, has starred
on an episode of Webster, and had one of his PSAs appear on VH1's I
Love the 80's Strikes Back.
-- Celebrities sharing McGruff's
birthday include Michelle Kwan, Jessica Simpson, and Michelle
Williams.
-- Sportscaster Chris Berman gave
baseball star Fred McGriff the nickname "Crime Dog" -- after McGruff
the Crime Dog.
About National
Crime Prevention Council
The National Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC) is a private, nonprofit organization whose primary
mission is to enable people to create safer and more caring
communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and
reducing the opportunities for crime to occur. NCPC manages public
service advertising under the National Citizens' Crime Prevention
Campaign -- symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog(r) and his "Take A
Bite Out Of Crime(r)" slogan-and acts as secretariat for the Crime
Prevention Coalition of America, a nonpartisan group of national,
federal, state, and local organizations committed to preventing
crime. NCPC is funded through a variety of government agencies,
corporate and private foundations, and donations from private
individuals. For more information on crime prevention issues, visit
http://www.ncpc.org;
for information on the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign,
visit
http://www.weprevent.org.
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