Welcome to the Truman Charities podcast. I am Jamie Truman, your host. Do you remember McGruff the Crime Dog, this famous saying take a bite out of crime? I do. I remember seeing his commercials and even having McGruff the Crime Dog visit my middle school. Well, things have changed quite a bit since I was young. I spoke with the executive director and CEO of National Crime Prevention Council, paul DePonte. We speak about how they have updated their McGruff program to include the dangers of social media and fentanyl with kids. Did you know that fake pills are being sold online to kids that are laced with deadly amounts of fentanyl? We speak about exactly what is behind counterfeit items and how you can get the McGruff program to come to your school. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Paul as much as I did. All right, paul, thanks so much for coming on and talking with me today.
Speaker 2Great to be on with you today.
Speaker 1Yes, so I actually grew up. I knew a lot about the National Crime Prevention Council because of the infamous McGruff dog take a bite out of crime. I used to see that as a little kid the slogan everywhere and commercials and all that great stuff. So I'm excited to kind of see where that program is today, how that's progressed, and then some of your other programs, how you're bringing communities together to help fight against crime, and then also the fentanyl crisis that's going on now. We have a lot to cover. But first I wanna know a little bit about you, paul. So you're the executive director and the CEO. What drew you to this organization?
Speaker 2Well. I spent the bulk of my career in communications and public affairs and the opportunity presented itself with the National Crime Prevention Council looking for someone with that expertise, as well as expertise in community involvement, which I have spent a lot of time doing, mainly for the purpose of introducing McGruff, the crime dog, to a new generation. That challenge, that opportunity really excited me and I'm glad I was able to jump into it just over two years now and have accomplished quite a bit.
Speaker 1So you were just talking about the McGruff crime dog and how has it evolved and how are you introducing it to the next generation?
Speaker 2We updated McGruff his look, his style, as well as how, as the nation's foremost pre-tactive as we call him takes on 21st century crimes. So you'll see behind me the new 3D look of McGruff the crime dog. We were able to do that out at Jim Henson Studios in California, along with House of Moves, a famous Los Angeles graphics animation company, and so he has a new look. We're also taking on 21st century crimes.
Speaker 2I heard over and over again when I just took this job at the tail end of the COVID pandemic and the lockdown, the unease parents had that they have children in the crazy world. They just went through this time on Zoom school and all of that and heightened awareness of the dangers in their neighborhoods as well as online. And I heard please, from parents, please, please. Mcgruff kept us safe when we were kids. You got to make sure you do that again. So, in addition to the new look of McGruff and he is back on TV you mentioned his famous commercials. We currently have four running across the country, which have been seen more than 2.2 billion times. We're proud to say so.
Speaker 2A lot of people have gotten to see McGruff again and are seeing him for the first time, including cameos in Disney's Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, really introducing him to a new generation of preschoolers and early elementary age students, as well as other activities and around the 21st century crime issues there's a lot. When McGruff first came on the scene back in the late 70s, there was no internet and there is trouble on the internet. There are crimes on the internet. I often get asked. Sometimes you're a little critical of social media platforms, yet McGruff is on those platforms. Why is that? I said McGruff needs to be everywhere crime and criminals are.
Speaker 1That's true, because I was just thinking that, as you were talking, that when I was growing up in the 80s, I mean, there was no internet, so it was a completely different way to go about talking to kids. Because now, as I talked to a lot of other nonprofits founders, the internet has been exploded so much and parents don't really know how to keep their kids safe online.
Speaker 2That is true. There's a lot of concern, there's a lot of anxiety and you almost have to treat the internet just like you would the world around us. There are safe communities and there are some communities that aren't so safe in educating your children as they become internet users, as they become social media users. About that, asserting parental controls when possible as well, as I think we have as a nation, we have to look for and demand some changes in the way some companies operate their platforms.
Speaker 1And so tell me a little bit about the new commercials. So what exactly is McGruff talking about during these commercials?
Speaker 2In his current ad and we also have another one in production which will be a follow-up, a sequel, almost. He talks about the ad is called Think Again. And if you think buying a fake sneaker online is harmless, think again. If you think buying fake cosmetics online is harmless, think again. And, most scary, if you think buying a pill on a social media site is safe, think again. And what it does? It juxtaposes a real assembly line in each instance with a fake assembly line in the dirty conditions in which fake products are made and the dangers that fake products are fueling international criminal cartels. That has led us to the point where we are dealing with the issue of fake drugs containing lethal amounts of fentanyl being sold to children on social media platforms. The second ad is going to more directly take aim at the fentanyl crisis.
Speaker 1Yeah, so I actually when I was online and when we go on your website and you talk about that, how there has been issues when it came to I believe it was at Snapchat that you spoke about, so can we talk a little bit about that? What is exactly going on?
Speaker 2What is going on is, each social media platform is designed a little differently. Snapchat inherently has some features in its platform that are conducive to secrecy, that are conducive to pinpointing locations. I don't think it was Snapchat's intent in designing the platform, but all of those features have proven to be very helpful for drug dealers. Drug dealers are taking advantage of children on the platform. The platform has algorithms that match you with whatever you're searching for, whether it is you're searching for something legitimate or something illegitimate. The platform doesn't distinguish between whether it's a legal or illegal activity that you're looking for. It doesn't care whether you're interested in the latest fashion trends or trying to score some drugs. That's inherently part of the platform and that therein lies the problem.
Speaker 1Okay, so people that are listening don't know exactly what is fentanyl and why is it so dangerous. Can we talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 2Sure, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. It is the most potent of all opioids that are manufactured. Two milligrams, just the tiny grains that you could fit on the tip of a pencil, are lethal in an adolescent. Depends on your body weight and all of that. But about two milligrams constitutes a lethal dose. It is also highly addictive. So when a drug dealer is making fake drugs, there's nothing real, there are no active ingredients in that fake pill, so they need to convince the user that it's doing something for them. So if they put fentanyl which is cheap, small and undetectable amounts in the pill, it's going to addict that user. So the fake pill might be marketed as something to any number of popular brand name pharmaceuticals to treat anxiety, depression, adhd, any number of things. They don't contain any of the real active ingredients that would help you if you have any one of those conditions, but they will contain fentanyl and then whether or not you're getting a lethal dose or not is simply as a matter of Russian roulette, and that's what's really scary about it.
Speaker 1Wow, I didn't even think about that that people are selling drugs that say Adderall or something like that Correct To these kids and that's the real danger. And then this is what they're getting is fentanyl in deadly doses.
Speaker 2Yes, they are literally duping kids into death.
Speaker 1So tell me a little bit about how your organization is combating this.
Speaker 2Last year, we wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the department to step up and investigate specifically Snapchat and other social media drug deals and to search for criminal violations. We're working with a slew of parent groups and these people are truly heroes. These are people who lost a child and, instead of just mourning about it, they've taken to activism and they're trying to do something. And the National Crime Prevention Council considers itself a home for all those families who have been victimized by the sale of fake drugs, and I said very early on in this that McGruff, the crime dog, has your back and we're going to watch out for you. We're going to work with federal, state and local law enforcement to find answers so this doesn't happen to more families. In a way, to remember their tragic loss, we created LightsProjectorg, which is a quilt of remembrance for these lives, so they're not just faceless victims or they're not victims that can be demonized.
Speaker 2These are not people who are opioid addicts. These are people who made an online transaction through no fault of their own, literally took something and it killed them in 15 minutes, and the stories are just heartbreaking 12, 13, 14-year-olds who may have been just having a bad week. You know, in the stories you hear, somebody hurt their knee in football practice and they were looking for something a little stronger than Tylenol. So they went online and they searched for it. No, they shouldn't have been doing that, and that's a matter of raising awareness of the dangers about it, and we're doing that, but it also shouldn't have been allowed to happen, and that's really what is tragic and that's what we're trying to change with public policy efforts.
Speaker 1Yeah, because, if you think about it, it's just kids being kids, exactly yeah. So tell me a little bit about your programs that are bringing communities together.
So we are bringing people together through helping people better engage with local law enforcement and the community. Mcgruff in his very first commercial back in 1979 said all crime needs is a chance. Don't give it a chance. And you know people often ask well, is McGruff a superhero out protecting you?
Speaker 2No, mcgruff's whole purpose is to educate and to involve people, to get people involved to realize that they're the ones who can take a bite out of crime and everyone can take a bite out of crime. So to do that we're organizing a number of things that people can get involved in in their community. We're having an adopt the crime dog. Approximately 1,500 police departments across the country have an active McGruff public education program and a lot of people are familiar with that and many people remember that day McGruff came to their middle school and they got a little badge and all of that. So we're trying to better link together the community with police departments. So if your community does not have a McGruff the crime dog education program in your police department, we can help you create one with an adopt the crime dog program. So we connect a local philanthropist or a local business in an area with the police department and they can sponsor the crime dog for a year.
Speaker 1Oh, wow, that's fantastic. I do remember you were saying that and like smiled.
Speaker 2I was like I remember winning a mission. It brings back many memories.
Speaker 1Right, I do remember my middle school coming in I was talking with us All right, so tell me a little bit about some of the other programs that you have going on.
Speaker 2We have a program tied into one of the reasons why we were sort of one of the first organizations to take on the fentanyl crisis, because we had a deep understanding of what generated and what was causing it, and that is the sale of counterfeit products. And we have a project called go for real. It is now a it's a multi year, multi million dollar campaign which we partner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that call attention to the dangers associated with fake products. There's one thing all fake products have in common they're all 100% illegal. They violate intellectual property laws number one. But very seldom do people who trade in illegal products just violate one law. There's oftentimes money laundering, other criminal activity products.
Speaker 2Illegal products tend to be made overseas, in countries where there are no child labor laws, where there are no environmental standards. If you're making something illegally, you're not complying with any government regulations, so the products themselves can be dangerous. But even worse, what we're discovering is you know the old adage well if you're out to solve a crime, follow the money. So what is that money doing? It's fueling local gang activity, it's fueling child trafficking and it's fueling an international drug trade. And so you might think buying a fair fake sneakers is harmless, but it's not.
Speaker 2It has a huge ripple effect, you know, beyond just putting economic pressures on the companies making legitimate products and our workers, but it's really causing real harms to crime, where McGrath actually was the person or the dog who coined the term cyberbullying. With increased concerns about mental health and the amount of time children are spending online, we're upping our efforts in that area as well. A lot of the original things that we put out 10, 15 years ago on that topic are just as relevant today, and we're sort of combining the retro look with the new look of McGrath and making it fun. We launched McGrathorg, which is a child-friendly website so children can go on and learn about all these issues in a what we'd like to call an edutainment kind of way, where there are games and other things that somebody can learn how to be a pre-detective themselves.
Speaker 1You know it's interesting when I'm talking to you. It's just so much that I didn't know. Like. So, when you think about, say, someone getting a fake, a knockoff purse or shoes or something like that, you don't really think of the implications of that and really what is going on behind the scenes of that. And then when you're speaking about what's going on with social media and kids, I mean as a mother myself, it's just this is these are all things that we need to be educated on. So it is really great that you guys are taking so much time and effort to educate the public on what is really going on behind the scenes. So I really love that. And how do people get involved within your organization?
Speaker 2There are a lot of ways they can get involved. They can visit ncpcorg and learn about all our programs. In fact, we're in the process of trying to redesign our website because what we discovered is there's too much on it and we're trying to streamline it. I'd already mentioned the Adopt the Crime Dog program. If there are folks who want to get involved in that, we're happy to set you up. Another thing we're doing around Fentanyl is on.
Speaker 2August 21st is Fentanyl Education and Awareness Day. We're trying to sponsor house parties across the country that people can sign up. We will enable, send them links and educational materials, but something where they can invite their friends over, ask for a small contribution from each of their friends to support our efforts in fighting Fentanyl and educate people in the process. You can invite friends, have wine, cheese and coffee if you're doing it in the morning or whatever. Make it a very social thing, because we need to raise awareness.
Speaker 2This is an issue. Back two years ago, we launched the LIES project and the digital awareness quilt. Actress Eva Michelle, who played tall girl, unfortunately lost her brother. She came and she joined us and at that event where we kicked it off, I made the comment that this is an issue that's emerging and this was just two years ago, not even two years ago and that at some point in time, because of the way the issue was evolving and developing, that soon enough it would hit home. And sadly, as you know, the last couple years have progressed. We hear more and more stories, people who were at that event I had one recently. A high ranking government official called me to say Paul, I remember you saying that, and two weeks ago I had to fly back to California for a funeral. That happened, it happened to our family, and so it is the kind of issue that is sadly hitting home and so that we thought a good way to educate people is to do it house to house.
Speaker 1And so what would your number one advice be to parents about the fentanyl crisis, on how to try to protect your family from this?
Speaker 2Number one advice would be to talk to your kids, learn about the issue yourself, educate them, and it doesn't matter how old they are. There are ways to talk about this issue that a child can understand. If it's a very young child, even a child who's a toddler in school, if you begin the process at a young age of getting them engaged and talking to you, that will help. So, a very young child we all take our children pediatricians when they're young and a child gets an ear infection or a sore throat or something, and you get them in the process of going to the doctor, then the doctor doing a prescription for something you have to go to the pharmacy and take, explain to them. You don't even have to talk about fentanyl at that stage, but start the process when they're young to let them know that there's a proper way to do this and then, as they get older, you can inject.
Speaker 2Well, there's a lot of scary things out there and if you see something online, don't take it because it's not real. It could really even hurt you, possibly even kill you, and you know it's a little scary to tell to a child. You don't want to scare a young child, but there are age, appropriate ways to do it, and it's never too early to start. I get that question a lot. You know when is the right time and my answer is always the same If you're asking yourself that question, it's the right time.
Speaker 1That makes sense, right? If you're questioning it, then it's time.
Speaker 2Then it's time exactly.
Speaker 1So, Paul, before I let you go, I want what have we not covered that you still think is important for people to know?
Speaker 2Well, that everybody can become involved and you know crime is a scary topic. You know, you read the headlines, you watch the news at 11 and you hear some and see some really, really scary things. And part of that is people can get involved, they can take action, they can help stop it. You can have fun in the process. We do things to engage people, to let them know. We are working with NASCAR driver Joey Gase and his teammate, former child actor Frankie Munez, who played Malcolm in the middle I remember that Malcolm in the middle and Agent Cody Banks, and we were just out in Daytona for the big race and in Atlanta where we have McGruff on the cars and it's a race against crime and everybody can play a role. So we try to make this as engaging and as fun as possible when you're trying to talk and educate people about topics that are otherwise darn scary.
Speaker 1Right, that's true. I mean I know, you know I'm right outside of DC and it's, you know, it's increasing the crime and it is a little bit scary for parents and kids, and so what you guys have created is a great space to be able to talk about it in ways of prevention, and I want to thank you so much for coming on and I want you to let everyone know how to follow you and how to donate.
Speaker 2There you go. You can go to our website, ncpcorg, and there's a donate button there and as well as one on McGrufforg, and there's also a McGruff shop where, if you want to buy t-shirts, replica toy cars from Lionel of our race car and other things so you can contribute and look fashionable and have fun at the same time, as well as make a straight out contribution. On social media, please follow us. We're on all the major platforms. It is the at sign McGruff at AT NCPC, so it's at McGruff at NCPC.
Speaker 1And don't worry, I'll have that all in the show notes for everybody. And a little extra thing as I was looking at your website and I was learning all about your organization and my son my three-year-old son was near me and I got on the page with the swag and it's got the truck and so we definitely ordered one of those. He was very excited.
Speaker 2We should set something up to give your viewers and listeners a little discount tip.
Speaker 1Absolutely. We can definitely do that and put that in the show notes as well. So thank you again.
Speaker 1So much, paul, for coming on, and I want to thank everybody for tuning in to another episode of the Truman Charities Podcast. Until next time, if you liked this episode, please make sure to rate and review our podcast. That is how more people learn about the Truman Charities Podcast and our organization, and to make sure you don't miss any of our future episodes, subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. If you'd like to follow Truman Charities, you can follow us on Facebook at Truman Charities, instagram at jamie underscore Truman Charities, and check out our website, trumancharitiescom.