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McGruff House
Carol Stream Police Department is Seeking
Volunteers for the McGruff House Program.....
What's a kid to do if an older boy bullies him on the way to
school, if she's scared of an unleashed dog, if he sees an
accident, or if a stranger follows her in a car? One answer is
to look around and ask for help from a house that displays a
sign with a figure that children know and trust----McGruff.
Children in Carol Stream have McGruff Houses to turn to, under a
program sponsored by
the Carol Stream Police Department, which began in September,
1996.
A McGruff House is a temporary haven for children who find
themselves in an emergency or frightening situation such as
being bullied, followed, or hurt while walking in a
neighborhood. Individuals who volunteer their homes as McGruff
Houses agree to make emergency phone calls for children in
trouble and watch out for neighborhood children as they go to
and from school. A McGruff House is not a medical aid
station, a restaurant, or a public restroom.
What makes McGruff House different from other block parent
programs?
First, McGruff. The houses display a symbol - McGruff, the
trench-coated spokesdog for crime prevention - that 99% of
children recognize because they've seen him on television or
he's visited their school. One in five U.S. families moves
yearly; using a symbol recognized nationwide only makes sense.
Second, the McGruff House program has built-in
safeguards against abuses. While no system is foolproof, the
McGruff House Program provides many precautions to ensure the
safety of children. Adults who volunteer their houses agree to a
law enforcement records check. McGruff House signs are numbered
and released from the national inventory only on written request
from law enforcement. Applicants must renew themselves every
year. The national office maintains a registry of signs issued
to state programs or local groups, who in turn keep records of
signs issued to approved applicants.
If you would like to become a McGruff House volunteer, please
contact Officer Chuck Ranweiler at (630) 871-6215.
click
here for a
McGruff House Application
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