“Mc Gruff and Me”
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Easy Reader Version Standard Version #517 McGruff and Me (Easy
Reader version) was created especially for Jessica Lynn Smith at the age of 5 With Love From, Mom & Dad February 20, 2003 Dear
Jessica Lynn Smith, Tomorrow
my police friends and I are coming to Canton, Michigan to
see you. You will learn many ways to
"Take A Bite Out Of Crime." Your
friend, McGruff 4 The
next morning, Jessica woke up and looked at the
picture of McGruff on her wall. "Yippee!"
shouted Jessica. "Today is the day McGruff is coming to Canton, Michigan!" 7 After
Jessica got out of bed, she
dressed and ate breakfast. She sat at the window until she
saw McGruff and two police officers drive up in a police car. When
Jessica got in the car, they buckled up and went
to meet Jessica's friends. 8 When
they rode up to the school, Jessica waved to Brittany, Jennifer and Ashley. McGruff
said, "I'm happy to see your friends walking to school together. It's safer that way." 11 Jessica took McGruff to her class to meet everyone. McGruff said, "Hi, kids! Today I'm going to help you learn
how to Take A Bite Out Of Crime. Let's
go to the auditorium." 12 The
kids sat down in their seats. The
principal said, "Today, McGruff and two police officers are going to teach
us how to be safe." Everyone
got quiet so they wouldn't miss a word. 15 McGruff
said, "Everyone knows that I want you to help me Take A Bite Out Of
Crime. But police officers also help
keep you and your family safe. They are
going to teach you some safety tips." 16 The
police officer said, "We are happy to be here with all of you. Our job is to make sure everyone follows the
rules that keep them safe." 19 The
deputy spoke next. "How many of
you know your name, address, and phone number?" Jessica
raised her hand. So did Brittany, Jennifer and Ashley,
along with all of the other kids. The
deputy said, "That's great! But
that's only one part of phone smarts." 20 McGruff
then asked the kids, "Who knows what number to call when you need
help?" Jessica
raised her hand and said, "911 or 0." "Great!"
said McGruff. "Now it's time to
say good-bye to our two friends." 23 Later,
while eating lunch, Jessica and her friends talked with McGruff about what they had
learned. McGruff
asked Jessica, "What is an emergency?" Jessica
said, "An emergency is when someone is very badly hurt. Or when there is a fire. An emergency is very serious." 24 That
afternoon during recess, Jessica and her friends talked to McGruff about the broken swings
on the playground. McGruff
said, "When kids break things on purpose, it is called vandalism and
vandalism is against the law." The
kids promised to keep their eyes and ears open so they could tell an adult when
they see vandalism. 27 When
school was over, Jessica and McGruff got on the
bus to go home. McGruff
showed Jessica that the kids leaving school on
bikes had locked them up. "You
know, Jessica, locking up your bike helps stop
crime," McGruff said. 28 As
they walked home from the bus stop, McGruff and Jessica
talked about being safe when walking to and from school. McGruff
said, "Always walk with your friends.
Don't take short cuts. And
remember, never talk to strangers--people you and your family don't know
well." 31 Soon
they were home. McGruff told Jessica, "Always check out your home before going
inside. If a door is open, or a window
is broken, don't go inside. Go to a
neighbor's house and call for help." 32 Jessica was sad when it was time for McGruff to leave. But Jessica
had made new friends--police officers. "Remember
Jessica," McGruff said, "it's our job
to teach you how to be safe. It's your
job to learn." Jessica
promised she would remember everything she
learned that day. Then she waved good-bye to McGruff. 35 for Jessica Johnson ____________________Street
Address ____________________City,
State, Zip _______________Emergency
# _______________My
Home # _______________Parent's
Work # _______________Neighbor's
# _______________Relative's
# _______________Police
# _______________Sheriff's
# _______________McGruff
House # #517 McGruff and Me (Standard
Version) was created especially for Ryan Bingman at the age of 7 Happy Birthday!, Mom & Dad February 20, 2002 Dear
Ryan Bingman, 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 Pulaski,
Wisconsin 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 This
morning Ryan Bingman 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 Pulaski, Wisconsin. And they would be spending the whole day
together! McGruff
was even coming home with Ryan after
school. Good thing Kyle, Stinky, and Matt 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! 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." 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, Kyle, Stinky, and Matt, 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!" 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. 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 Bingman, 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. "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. 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." 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 Kyle, Stinky, and Matt! "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." 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." At
lunch time, Ryan, Kyle,
Stinky, and Matt 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?" Later
that day, Ryan caught up with Kyle, Stinky, and Matt 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!" 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." 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." 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." 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 Pulaski, Wisconsin a safer place for kids like me." Ryan,
Kyle, Stinky, and Matt 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! for Ryan Bingman ____________________Street
Address ____________________City,
State, Zip _______________Emergency
# _______________My
Home # _______________Parent's
Work # _______________Neighbor's
# _______________Relative's
# _______________Police
# _______________Sheriff's
# _______________McGruff
House #
"McGruff and Me"
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"McGruff and Me"
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