McGruff the Crime Dog has taken a bite out of the NYPD’s budget: The department dropped more than $13,500 on eight McGruff costumes in one of several unusual purchases in recent years, according to a new report.
The life-size costumes of McGruff the Crime Dog, a cartoon character who sports a trench-coat and teaches youngsters to lock their doors and avoid gangs, are used by cops when interacting with kids, according to DNAinfo.
The police bought the costumes in May 2013 from Arfmann Marketing, which is licensed by the National Crime Prevention Council.
The costumes were more costly than the $11,000 police spent on two new German shepherds for its K-9 unit.
Cops also spent over $13,000 on enough psychedelic drugs to host their own Electric Zoo. More than $13,000 was spent on the compound in mushrooms that makes users hallucinate, while the amount spent on ecstasy was not disclosed in the records. They were purchased so the department could compare what its cop were seizing with sample drugs.
The NYPD also paid $500,000 for robots between 2009 and 2014. About half of that amount was spent on tiny, throwable robots from the company ReconRobotics —whose Throwbots, or mini-robots, transmit video and audio in rough areas for the department.
They can only be purchased from the Minnesota-based company for law-enforcement and military work. They weigh a little over a pound, and come with a quiet sensor and an infrared system that lets the user see even in pitch blackness, according to the company’s Web site.
The department also spent $4,000 on steak dinners — including a $3,400 bill at Gallaghers Steakhouse in May 2014.
Other lavish spending went to meals at the Peter Luger Steak House in Williamsburg and $300 at MarkJoseph Steakhouse near 1 Police Plaza.
Police also dropped $300 on Italian food at the upscale Rao’s in East Harlem, the report said.
The NYPD gives restaurant meals to cops to reward them as part of an appreciation program.
Other odd buys include $69,000 worth of shoeshine machines over four years for station houses. Cops are expected to keep their shoes shiny during their tours.
The NYPD also purchased more than $90,000 worth of Jet Skis in 2013 for water rescues by the Emergency Services Unit.
Police also spend money on community liaisons to advise the NYPD on different cultures in neighborhoods. Cops paid Shuck Seid — who once founded an auxiliary cop unit in Chinatown’s in 5th Precinct — almost $25,000 in December 2011 for his consulting services.
Additional reporting by Rebecca Harshbarger
