McGruff the Crime Dog(R), the 25-year old icon of the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), celebrated his anniversary earlier this month with a survey of law enforcement and crime prevention specialists to determine their priorities for the next ten years. With the help of corporate partner ADT Security Services, Inc., NCPC surveyed attendees at the 7th Annual Conference on Preventing Crime and the results revealed that local law enforcement ranks home security and homeland security with equal importance -- a potent reminder that McGruff's very first public service message about taking precautions for home security is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago. The findings of the study show that although crime is at a 30-year low and much emphasis is being placed on terrorism prevention and homeland security, much of the work of local law enforcement involves those issues that McGruff and NCPC have been tackling for 25 years. In recognition of the impact and importance of McGruff's call for everyone to "Take A Bite Out of Crime," ADT is also donating 25 McGruff costumes to law enforcement agencies across the country to assist in their crime prevention education efforts. Home burglary victims in the United States lost over $3.5 billion dollars according to FBI estimates released just last month. Local law enforcement also reports that burglaries can be related to illegal drug use and even identity theft. Additional survey results indicated that identity theft, gang crime, and school safety rose to the top of the list, with over half of law enforcement respondents ranking each of these issues a very high priority. According to the U.S. Postal Service, there were almost ten million incidents of identity theft in the United States in 2004, a huge figure dwarfed only by its cost to consumers -- $5 billion. Home Security Tips * Install home security devices such as alarm systems, pick and drill- resistant locks with patent-protected keys and laminated windows with key locks. * Encourage local law enforcement and Neighborhood Watch groups to work together in educating residents about tested strategies. * Request a security survey to help you recognize and correct vulnerabilities. Identity Theft Prevention Tips * Do not disclose personal information without verifying the identity of the recipient. * Monitor accounts online. Those who monitor their accounts catch fraud earlier and minimize or eliminate the damage. * Work with the communications and data technology industries to help build prevention in devices. For example, ADT now offers credit monitoring services to their customers, in partnership with one of the major credit reporting agencies. Combating Gangs Tips * Offer young people positive alternatives to gangs, including opportunities to serve their community and to be seen as a resource in their community. This is especially important because gangs thrive on those seeking to belong. * Encourage programs where law enforcement engages and works with young people, refugees, and immigrants to learn the laws and how to prevent crime in their communities. * Teach young people about citizenship, service, and the law. School Safety Tips * Ensure schools have a detailed security plan that includes controlling access, monitoring the behavior of visitors and others using school facilities. * Offer training in anger management, stress relief, mediation and related violence prevention skills to students, staff and teachers. * Engage parents as partners with school administrators, teachers and law enforcement in ensuring safe and secure learning environments by assessing security challenges together. For a photo of McGruff the Crime Dog(R) and the list of costumes being donated to law enforcement across the country, please visit http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051010/MCGRUFF or http://www.ncpc.org and click on "All About McGruff" and visit the McGruff photo album. About the 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. About ADT Celebrating its 131th anniversary, ADT Security Services, Inc., a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, is the largest provider of electronic security services to more than six million commercial, government and residential customers throughout North America. ADT's total security solutions include intrusion, fire protection, closed circuit television, access control, critical condition monitoring, electronic article surveillance, radio frequency identification (RFID) and integrated systems. ADT's web site address is http://www.adt.com.

Source: PR Newswire