McGruff – Good Friends vs. Gangs
McGruff and Scruff
Sept. 20, 2009
In 1974, a neighborhood crime watch group was organized in South Dade County. Citizens met with their local law enforcement departments to ask what they could do to help the police apprehend a rapist terrorizing their community. From this first informal meeting, communities and law enforcement began to work together to keep neighborhoods safe and free from crime. An organization was formed, and Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County, Inc. (CCW) was registered as a 501(c) (3) non profit organization. Today, over 1,600 neighborhoods participate in the crime watch concept.
In 1979, the crime watch concept was introduced into the public school system at one school. Because it succeeded in curbing school crime, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) requested we, CCW, expand its student crime watch program from one school to include all public schools in the county. Since that time, Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade (YCW) has functioned as an allied program of the public schools.
Methodology The public school system contracts with YCW to educate and train students in violence and crime prevention strategies. Children also learn that good citizenship and personal responsibility include watching out for family, friends, schools and community. YCW maintains a presence in all M-DCPS.
The foundation of the YCW program is built upon a “school safety survey” which is administered at the school during the first few months of the school year. It asks respondents to rank their particular safety concerns – those issues which they believe have the potential to cause harm to themselves or their schoolmates. YCW students, student advisors, and our staff are then enlisted in the effort to resolve those issues impeding the safety, health, and education of young people. The results of the survey are prioritized and comprise the core content of the YCW program.
The YCW program is structured to teach leadership skills to students who volunteer to learn about school safety. While they learn how to keep themselves safe, they also learn public speaking, critical thinking, leadership, and other skills that will serve them into their adult lives. This, in turn, reinforces their self-esteem and promotes positive involvement, again curbing misbehavior, crime and violence in the school.
I’m McGruff the Crime Dog – world famous for my advice on how to stop crime before it happens, and for my great sense of humor. But seriously, my job is to help people, especially kids, learn how to be safe and make their neighborhood safer. Something else you should know about me is that I go all over the country to talk to people about how they can take a bite out of crime. So if you see me in your town, come on up and say hi. You can recognize me by my tan trench coat – I never go anywhere without it.
This here is my nephew Scruff. He helps me show kids how they can stay safe. Scruff’s a good pup but sometimes gets himself into a bit of trouble. Lucky for him he’s got a good memory – eventually he remembers the right thing to do to get out of trouble. Want to know more about me and Scruff?
You can read more about yours truly in the story How McGruff Became the Crime Dog, and you can read some of Scruff’s adventures in these comic books.
Today we will talk about: Friends vs. Gangs
Learn About Gangs
Have you ever heard of a gang? Do you know kids who are in a gang? Be careful! Gang members often get hurt and get in trouble with the law.
A gang is a group that tries to control some part of a neighborhood—they call it turf—and does illegal things. Some gangs sell drugs. Others threaten people, such as shop owners, unless those people pay the gang money.
Most gangs mark members wear special clothes or mark themselves with gang symbols. If a person has the mark of a certain gang and goes on the turf of another, it can be bad news for that person—gangs are almost always violent and fight with other gangs a lot.
Learn To Avoid Gangs
Gangs are violent and illegal. Gangs use guns and sell drugs. Gangs also often hurt new members when they join. Joining a gang can put your family and friends in danger. And if you join a gang and another gang finds out, they may hurt or kill you.
If someone asks you to join a gang, say no. Get away. Tell a trusted adult. If that person is being a bully and tries to force you to join, remember what to do:
- Stick with your friends.
- Walk away from the bully.
- Ask an adult for help.
Source: McGruff
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com