Clown Sightings and Arrests Are No Laughing Matter

Clowns are taking up a lot of police resources this past month and it is not funny.

What seemed like legitimate concerns of reports of clowns trying to lure children into the woods in Greenville County, SC has turned into a slew of false police reports of clown sightings and vague threats by people posing as clowns along the southeast and up the east coast.

These reports not being taken lightly. Since police departments are unable to discern whether a report is true or false, police still have to take all threats seriously and respond and investigate accordingly. False reports and vague or fake threats that are ‘jokes’ take valuable time and resources away from police and residents which translates into money away from taxpayers.

Mashable created a map of the original clown sightings that occurred in Greenville County and we’ve updated a map of our own. We tried to map all incidents, but some came without an address (typically ones where a juvenile was involved).

View the entire SpotCrime crime list here.

The reports are littered from the southeast all of the way up to Pennsylvania. We have counted 23 incidents in 12 states. There have been 4 arrests - 2 arrests were for the ‘clowns’ making threats on social media and 2 arrests were for 'victims' filing false police reports about seeing a clown.

8/20 - Sighting - Emerald Commons Apartments, Greenville, SC

A child saw a man wearing a clown mask in woods near the complex.

8/22 & 8/23 - Sightings - Shemwood Apartments, Greenville, SC

Two sightings on consecutive nights. Clowns may have been taking pictures of children.

8/24 - Sighting - Rice Street and Deoyley Avenue Greenville, SC

Child reported seeing a clown on their way home.

8/24 - Sighting - Park Haywood Apartments Greenville, SC
Report of clown in complex's laundromat.

8/24 - Sighting - Canaan Pointe Apartments, Spartanburg, SC

Woman reported a person dressed as clown in her backyard.

8/29 - Sighting - Fleetwood Manor Apartments, Greenville, SC

Clowns attempting to lure children into the woods.

9/5 - Sighting - Winston-Salem, NC

Report of clown trying to lure kids into the woods.

9/6 Sighting- Greensboro, NC

Man with machete chased clown into woods.

9/9 False Report Arrest - Winston-Salem, NC

Man arrested and charged with filing false police report - stated he say clown knock on his window.

9/14 - False Report Arrest - Hogansville, Ga

Two arrested for calling 911 to falsely report sighting of clowns .

9/15 School Lockdown/Arrest - Flomaton, AL

Flomaton HS was put on lockdown due to false threats on social media by Flomo Klown and Shoot Cllown. A 22 year old woman was later arrested.

9/17 Sightings - Water Valley, MS 

The caller reported a clown in her backyard.

9/18 - Sighting - Georgia Southern University

Clown sightings reported on Georgia Southern University campus were later ruled unfounded.

9/18 Sighting - Pine Bluff, AR

Clown in the wooded area behind the Tractor Supply on Sheridan Road.

9/19 Sightings - Frederick County, VA

Clown sighting reported in Jim Barnett Park. Police advise they will use the VA law stating that it’s illegal to wear mask or conceal identity in public in order to make arrests as necessary.

9/19 Sighting - Auburn University - Auburn, AL

Clowns reported on campus.

9/19 - Sighting - London, KY

Clown sighting - Picture posted on social media of someone dressed as clown on Hal Rogers Pkwy.

9/19 - Sighting - Coffee County, TN

Someone dressed in a red hoodie and clown mask attacked and cut a juvenile.

9/20 - Sightings - Tazewell County, VA and Sullivan County, TN

Clowns appearing on people’s doorsteps.

9/20 - False Sighting - Annapolis, MD

Children falsely report seeing a clown.

9/20-21 Sightings/Arrests - Chattanooga, TN

Two juveniles arrested for disorderly conduct and conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct for posting threats to social media sites stating clowns were going to shoot up Red Bank Middle School or Red Bank High school on 9/21. They were arrested and charged as juveniles on 9/20.

9/21 - Sighting - Pottsville, PA

Dressed as clowns in car yelling at kids in park.

Since a lot of the sightings in involve children, the police agencies and the National Crime Prevention Council offer the following tips for parents:

• Know where your children are at all times.
• Point out safe places for children to play, safe roads & paths to take and safe places to go if there's trouble.
• Encourage children to play with others. Remember there is safety in numbers.
• Don't talk to, take anything, or go anywhere with strangers.
• Always go to a trusted adult when needing help - i.e. teacher, police officer, SRO, school bus driver, parent, older siblings, neighbor.
• Report suspicious activity to school & police department.

Please don’t waste the time and resources of police departments by falsely reporting a clown sighting. And please don’t be an idiot who dresses up as a clown in an attempt to scare people to be funny. It’s not funny.


EDIT

Even more clown stories have surfaced since our original post was published:

• Police look for person in clown mask after fatal stabbing
• VIDEO: Clown arrested by police
• Creepy Clown Hoaxes Lead to 12 Arrests in Multiple States
• Extra security in place at several city schools after clown-related social media threats
• Man says he had encounter with 'scary clown' in Plano last week
• Clown 'carrying chainsaw' spotted at Brunel University as terrifying craze comes to Uxbridge
• Crime Report: Girl Startled by Scary Clown