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Contact Information

101 4th Street SE
Rochester, Mn 55904 (Map)

Phone: 507-328-6800
Fax: 507-328-6975

Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Department Contacts

Crime Prevention

• Printable Version

McGruff House Program

What is a McGruff House?

A McGruff House is a temporary safe haven for children who need help. They may be being bullied, followed, or hurt while walking in a neighborhood.  

A McGruff House provides a sense of security and a source of emergency aid. It is not an escort service or a guarantee of safety, but a place for appropriate short-term help for a child. An effective McGruff House Program demonstrates that the community accepts a shared responsibility to watch out and help out on behalf of all its children.

For more information, E-mail the Crime Prevention Unit or call them at (507)285-8288. Criminal history background checks are required to become a McGruff House.

What do McGruff House participants do?

They provide emergency assistance for children as they go to and from school or are playing in their neighborhood.

McGruff House participants do not: 

• Personally provide first aid, except in extreme emergency situations and then only if qualified.
• Act as an escort service.
• Assume the role of neighborhood supervisor.
• Enforce laws.
• Provide bathroom facilities.
• Provide a place to relax.
• Provide food or beverages.
• Guarantee safety.
  

Why is a McGruff House important?

There are several reasons why a McGruff House is important to the children in your community. Some reasons are:

1. McGruff, the Crime Dog, is recognized by 99% of America's children. They have seen him on television or he has visited their school. One in five U.S. families move yearly, using a symbol recognized nationwide makes sense.
2. The McGruff House Program has built-in safeguards against abuses. While it is impossible to guarantee the safety of children in any program, reasonable precautions have been taken in designing the McGruff House Program. Adults who volunteer their homes agree to a law enforcement records check. The distribution of McGruff House signs is strictly controlled.
3. McGruff House is a locally operated program. It is a service provided by the community for the well-being of children. It is a partnership of local law enforcement, a school or school system, and a community organization.
4. McGruff House is a nationwide program that represents a partnership among a national organization, state governments, and local communities. This partnership enables communities to benefit from the visibility of the national effort and to join with other communities in implementing a program with consistent standards, guidelines, and safeguards.
   

For an application form E-mail the Crime Prevention Unit or call them at (507)329-6898.