“Mc Gruff and
Me”
Words in RED are the personalized words
"McGruff and Me"
was created especially for
Ryan Baker
at the age of 5
Happy Birthday!,
Mom & Dad
May 7, 2002
Page 4
Dear
Ryan Baker,
Just
a note to say how proud I am of you! You're always willing to help out your
family and friends. You like to learn new things. And I'm told you always try
to be the best you can be. Ryan, that makes you
a winner!
I'm
writing to ask if I can meet you soon in Woodward,
Oklahoma and spend the day with you. I want to share some safety and
crime-prevention tips with you and your buddies. If we all pitch in, I'm sure
we can TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME!
See
you soon?
McGruff
the Crime Dog
Page 7
This
morning Ryan Baker woke up even before the alarm
went off. He was too excited to sleep another wink! Today, Ryan was to meet McGruff the Crime Dog in Woodward, Oklahoma. And they would be spending the
whole day together!
McGruff
was even coming home with Ryan after school.
Good thing Andrew, Cole and Nick helped Ryan straighten up his room.
While
he was cleaning up for McGruff's visit, Ryan
found things he had lost long ago. And he found some things he had forgotten he even had!
Page 8
In
a flash, Ryan got dressed and made his bed. And
even though he wanted to rush out the door, he took time to eat a good breakfast. Ryan had learned at school that breakfast was the most
important meal of the day.
When
Ryan heard a knock at the front door he carefully checked to see who was there before he unlocked and opened it. It was McGruff and some
police officers, ready to drive him to school. Ryan
locked the door as they left. "Way to go, Ryan,"
McGruff said. "Better safe than sorry."
When
Ryan and McGruff got into the police car they
both took time to buckle up securely. "Wow," exclaimed Ryan, "patrol cars are cool! Can we turn on the
siren? Can I talk on the radio?" McGruff gave him a friendly smile.
"There's more to crime prevention than just sirens, Ryan," he said. "Just wait."
Page 11
While
driving to school, Ryan was full of questions.
"What is it you do?" he asked McGruff.
"I help build safer communities," McGruff replied, "by helping
people take a bite out of crime. I can't do it by myself," he continued.
"So today you'll meet others whose job it is to help you protect
yourself."
When
they drew near the school, Ryan pointed out his
friends, Andrew, Cole and Nick, waiting at the
school crossing. McGruff was impressed. "I sure am glad your friends know
to stop and look both ways for cars," he noted.
"The
best way to do it," McGruff continued, "is to look left, then right
and then left one more time to make sure no cars are coming. And be sure to
cross only at the intersection," he added. "Jay-walking is
dangerous!"
Page 12
Ryan's
teacher asked him to introduce McGruff to the class. "I'm glad to be
here," McGruff exclaimed. "And I've brought a special crime-fighting
sticker for each of you."
Ryan
handed out the stickers to his classmates while McGruff continued. "I hope
these stickers will help you remember TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME," he
said. "Who knows what that means?" All of Ryan's
classmates raised their hands proudly. "Good for you," said McGruff.
Soon
everyone was asking McGruff questions about crime prevention. Ryan's teacher had to interrupt. "Hold your
questions, everyone," she said, "because we're going to a school
assembly where you'll meet other visitors who will teach you about safety and
crime prevention too." As his friends lined up, Ryan
proudly took his place with McGruff at the head of the line.
Page 15
Once
the auditorium was full and the kids finally quieted down, the school principal
stepped to the front of the stage. "Boys and girls, I'm pleased to present
two of our community's crime-prevention officers. And with them this morning is
crime-prevention dog, McGruff. He came here today to meet Ryan Baker, and the rest of you too."
Ryan's
classmates clapped and cheered when he and McGruff stood up. Next to them were
a police officer and a sheriff's deputy.
As
McGruff walked to the microphone, the auditorium became quiet. No one, not even
the teachers, wanted to miss any of McGruff's speech.
Page 16
"Kids,"
McGruff began. "You know me and what I stand for. Now, I want you to meet
two of my friends whose jobs include helping keep Ryan,
and all of you safe too."
"They're
here to talk about safety, especially for the younger children whose parents
aren't home when school lets out. I know that's not all of you," McGruff
said. "But all of you should learn and practice these tips."
McGruff
took his seat next to Ryan and the two officers
walked to the microphone.
Page 19
The
police officer spoke first. "Thank you all, for inviting us to be here
today." He turned to Ryan. "Ryan, I know you're excited to have McGruff here
today. So are we! McGruff is a big part of our program of crime-prevention
education."
The
officer turned back to the crowd. "I'm sure that Ryan
and the rest of you want to be good citizens. To do that," he continued,
"you have to follow the laws of our community to keep everyone safe."
Ryan's
friends were listening intently. The police officer continued. "The deputy
and I are like referees or umpires in one of your ball games. We make sure you
follow the rules. That way, everyone plays fairly. And most important of all,
no one gets hurt."
Page 20
Next
it was the deputy's turn to talk. "How many of you know your full name,
your full address, and your telephone number, including the area code?" he
asked. "If you do, stand up." Ryan
jumped to his feet, and was surprised to see all his classmates standing too.
Even Andrew, Cole, and Nick!
"That's great," said the deputy. "Now please take your seats
again."
"Knowing
your full phone number is just part of being phone smart," the deputy
continued. "You should also know how to use different kinds of phones,
including pay phones. Keep a list of emergency numbers at home, next to your
phone. And if you're home by yourself, lock the doors behind you then phone a
family member or trusted neighbor, just to check in."
Page 23
For
several more minutes the police officer and deputy shared safety tips with Ryan
and the other boys and girls. When they were through, McGruff asked an
important question about being phone smart.
"Hey
kids," McGruff asked, "Is it ever okay to hang up on a caller? You
BET it is, if it's a prank call from a stranger. If you get a call like that,
hang up! And never tell a caller you're home by yourself. Remember, your phone
line is a safety line. In emergencies, call 911."
"Now,"
said McGruff, "it's time to say goodbye to our visiting officers and end
our assembly. I hope now you understand what it takes to help prevent crime. We
all need to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, and help keep our homes,
our neighborhoods and our schools safe."
Page 24
At
lunch time, Ryan, Andrew,
Cole, and Nick joined McGruff in the cafeteria and talked about what
McGruff had told them in the assembly. They all agreed that McGruff's safety
tips were good for all of them; not just the younger kids.
The
Crime Dog gave them another valuable piece of advice. "Unless your parents
or guardian say so, don't go anywhere with another adult, even if he or she
says your family okayed it. You and your family should decide on secret code
words to be used if someone else is going to pick you up."
Ryan
had a good question to ask McGruff. "How do I answer the phone politely
and NOT let someone know I'm alone at home?" McGruff suggested Ryan use phrases like "Can she call you
back?" or "He can't come to the phone right now, may I take your
number?"
Page 27
Later
that day, Ryan caught up with Andrew, Cole and Nick on the playground. "Oh,
man," exclaimed Ryan, "look at these
broken swings!"
"And
look at these initials carved into your slide," growled McGruff.
"That kind of vandalism costs your school a lot of money, money that could
be better spent on new text books or class field trips."
Ryan
and his buddies promised McGruff they'd keep their ears and eyes open to help
prevent vandalism to school property. "That's great," said McGruff,
"with kids like you on the team, I think this is one fight we can
win!"
Page 28
At
the final bell of the school day, Ryan and
McGruff boarded the bus to go home. Some of Ryan's
friends were unlocking their bikes to ride home.
"We've
had bikes stolen out of the racks, McGruff," noted Ryan. "How can I make sure this doesn't happen to me?"
"Well,"
said McGruff, "the first thing to do is not give crime a chance to happen.
Make sure you lock your bike with a U-bolt lock or cable. And engrave your bike
with a special identification number that makes it easy for the police to
return it to you if they find it. Sad but true, most bikes are not returned
because they don't have identification numbers."
Page 31
On
the walk home from Ryan's bus stop, McGruff
brought up another important subject: dealing with strangers.
"Ryan, a stranger is a person that you don't know well,
or someone your family doesn't know well. I'm not saying that every stranger is
someone to be feared, but be cautious if one wants to talk to you, and NEVER
get into a stranger's car."
McGruff
continued. "If you think you're being followed, run to the nearest public
place where there are plenty of people, to a trusted neighbor's house, or to a
McGruff house. A McGruff house has earned a sign in the window with my picture
on it. It's a safe place to go for help in an emergency or threatening
situation."
Page 32
As
the two friends approached Ryan's house, McGruff
gave Ryan still another important safety tip.
"Check things out before you open the door, Ryan,"
he cautioned. "Never go in if the door is open or you see a broken window.
Go to a trusted neighbor's house or a McGruff house. And remember, call 911 if
you need help."
Ryan
nodded and McGruff continued. "If someone you don't know comes to your
door when you're home by yourself, don't open the door. Look through a peephole
or window first. Tell the stranger to come back later because your parents are
busy. If that person hangs around, call a trusted neighbor, a McGruff house, or
use your emergency number to ask for help."
Page 35
Sooner
than Ryan wanted, the time came for McGruff to
say goodbye. Ryan would certainly miss his Crime
Dog buddy, but McGruff reminded him of his two new friends, the police officer
and sheriff's deputy. "Remember Ryan,"
said McGruff, "it's their job to teach you to protect yourself. And it's
your job to learn!"
Ryan
flashed McGruff a big smile. "I won't be afraid to talk to any police
officer or deputy," he promised,
"because I know they're here to help me. I'm going to work with them, my
friends, and my neighbors to make Woodward, Oklahoma
a safer place for kids like me."
Ryan,
Andrew, Cole, and Nick
had spent a great day with McGruff and learned valuable lessons. They now know
that each of them can make a big difference, especially if they help McGruff
TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME!
Page 36
Phone
Smart Chart
for
Ryan
Baker
_______________Street
Address
_______________City,
State, Zip
_______________Emergency
#
_______________My
Home #
_______________Parent's
Work #
_______________Neighbor's
#
_______________Relative's
#
_______________Police
#
_______________Sheriff's
#
_______________McGruff
House #