page_title: McGruff the Crime Dog
section_title: Campaigns
hierarchical_section_title: McGruff the Crime Dog / Campaigns
caption_attribution_description: English: Robert and Regan Smith, children of Amanda Smith, a contracting specialist on Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., high-five McGruff the Crime Dog at the base's Earth Day event at McTureous Hall, April 11. The event was held to educate people on environmental threats in the High Desert.
context_page_description: McGruff the Crime Dog is an anthropomorphic animated bloodhound created by Dancer Fitzgerald Sample advertising executive Jack Keil through the Ad Council and later the National Crime Prevention Council to increase crime awareness and personal safety in the United States. McGruff costumes are used by police outreach efforts, often with children. McGruff was created by Sherry Nemmers and Ray Krivascy in 1979 and debuted in 1980 with a series of public service announcements educating citizens on personal security measures, such as locking doors and putting lights on timers, in order to reduce crime. His name was selected as part of a nationwide contest in July 1980.
  McGruff proved to be a successful campaign with over $100 million in free air time donated in the first year reaching over 50% of adults. McGruff campaigns continued over the years to cover topics such as child abduction, robbery, anti-drug messages, and anti-bullying campaigns. From 1982 to 2012, a number of municipalities participated in the McGruff house program which offered temporary haven to children fearing immediate harm.
context_section_description: McGruff debuted in 1980 with television, newspaper, billboard, and radio advertisements. The Ad Council and the National Crime Prevention Council still use McGruff in national campaigns to raise awareness about crime and crime prevention strategies. About 1500 law enforcement agencies use McGruff costumes as part of their outreach efforts in communities. McGruff advertisements feature a "fulfillment strategy", a means of contact for more information. Early advertisements contained PO Boxes that could be written to for more information, but now contain phone numbers and web sites.
  McGruff was well received in the 1980s, and current campaigns are similarly recognizable. In a survey done by Harris Interactive for the National Crime Prevention Council, McGruff was known by 9 in 10 adults, teens, and children once being prompted; about 3 in 4 adults, 8 in 10 teens, and 8 in 10 children recognized McGruff without being prompted. Respondents were asked how likely they were to take McGruff's advice. Children were found to be very receptive, with 8 in 10 responding they were likely to take his advice. 7 in 10 teens and 6 in 10 adults gave similar responses.
caption: McGruff costumes are often used by law enforcement agencies for outreach with children.
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