Police downplay reports of clown sightings

Internet reports of people dressed up as creepy clowns have some people concerned for their safety.

Internet reports of people dressed up as creepy clowns have some people concerned for their safety.

Stories have been circulating over the last few months about individuals dressed up as clowns in several states.

According to USA Today, sightings of creepy clowns attempting to lure children into the woods were reported in North and South Carolina. Other instances involving clowns were also reported in states including Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee.

As recently as this week, reports in Pennsylvania indicated that York College sent out alerts to students stating that campus safety had responded to eight reported clown sightings, all of which, however, were unsubstantiated.

The fear of these sightings has now spread locally but Pottstown police stated Thursday that clown sightings in Pottstown can be chalked up to nothing more than social media rumors.

“As of right now, no clown sightings have been officially reported to the Pottstown Police Department,” said Capt. Robert Thomas. “There are no clowns.”

The department also issued a statement via Facebook concerning the sightings.

“Multiple people have been contacting the police recently, inquiring about whether or not they should be concerned with the ‘clown sightings.’ It seems that there are many rumors going around about there being people dressed as clowns in different areas of town,” the post read. “Unfortunately, these rumors are spreading into the schools and scaring young children, and it seems that no one is calling the police when they actually see these clowns.”

Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz added that their department has not had any reported clown sightings either.

“I’ve heard there’s been a lot of that on Facebook but I don’t know of anything that’s happened locally,” said Foltz.

Limerick Police Chief Brian Skelton said, however, that they received their first report of a clown sighting Wednesday afternoon. Police received the call at about 4 p.m. and were told that a person in a clown mask had been walking out of the woods in the area of Spring-Ford High School and the adjacent cemetery. Officers arrived and checked the area but were unable to locate the suspicious person. That has been the only call the department has received.

Skelton said after this incident he is concerned about people who are trying to imitate what they see on social media and TV.

“These incidents are copycats and I’m concerned when others imitate what they see others do on TV and social media. Something could happen and things aren’t going to always work out the way it does in the video. It could have a different outcome for what they’re doing, ” said Skelton.

Police have asked that if someone does see a person dressed as a clown

and feels that it needs to be looked into that they contact police and let them know the location of the person.

“In order to identify

these people and look into this further, we need people to call the police and let us know where the clowns are located when they see them. So if you see a person dressed as a clown in Pottstown and feel the police need to look into it, call us,” read the post from Pottstown police.

Skelton added, “I ask that everyone treat these persons as strangers and avoid contact. Should they witness it they should contact police immediately. I encourage members of our community to refrain from this behavior as it has no legitimate purpose.”