Taking a Bite Out of Crime

The Impact of the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Media Campaign

"The reporting of the evaluation of the McGruff campaign is quite comprehensive, and the conclusions and recommendations in the final chapter offer specific guidance to the developers of the McGruff campaign as well as others involved in the mass media campaigns, whether they be national campaigns or closer to home." --Janice A. Roehl, Ph.D., President, Justice Research Center, Pacific Grove, California "Garrett J. O'Keefe and his colleagues present findings from their extensive evaluation of the 'Take a Bite Out of Crime' campaign, a nationwide effort to foster citizen responsibility for combating crime. The book is quite comprehensive and informative as well as clearly written. It covers a topic of genuine interest to crime prevention scholars, law enforcement practitioners, and media experts, especially those examining the power of the media to influence people's attitudes and behaviors. The book is also sweeping in its appeal and will interest readers of varying backgrounds and levels of knowledge." --Arthur J. Lurigio, Loyola University of Chicago "Taking a Bite Out of Crime covers an important aspect of the relationship between the media, crime, and criminal justice. It presents the latest research and is an important contribution in this area." --Ray Surette, Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, University of Central Florida Do you remember the McGruff character and his message? Taking a Bite Out of Crime examines the development and content of the campaign with that very slogan that motivated countless individuals and communities to take action to prevent crime. Comprehensive and informative, this volume presents a case study of the 14-year national information effort to stir public awareness about crime and evaluates the campaign's impact. Drawing on data from a national survey, the authors analyze the inner workings of the campaign and find an increase over the past decade in its popularity and effectiveness. A thriving, effective blend of communication and action initiatives, the campaign's strengths have included persistence, consistency of impact, and broadness of scope not seen in previous information campaign research. This volume also features state-of-the-art evaluation of the public's perceptions and attitudes toward crime and provides excellent data-based recommendations for future campaigns. A unique study of a campaign that has reached more than 80% of the American public, Taking a Bite Out of Crime offers a case study that combines elements of interest to both criminal justice and media researchers. Policy makers, law enforcement specialists in crime prevention, public campaign planners in a range of fields, program evaluation specialists, and marketers will also find the book rich with relevant information.