Creepy Clown Rumors Stir Caution At Toms River Schools

Toms River, NJ — The creepy clown reports that have been making the rounds of a number of towns in New Jersey and elsewhere have stirred up anxiety in Toms River — needlessly, police say.

"There have been no reported credible threats to our area," Toms River Police Department spokesman Ralph Stocco said.

Reports of creepy clowns trying to entice children first began circulating in South Carolina in late August, and have spread to other states since then.

"The initial reports seem to stem from an organized movie promotion and have now morphed into copycat reports throughout New Jersey," Stocco said, and concerns continue to be spread through social media, via Facebook shares and Twitter reports that have been retweeted.

Some of those creepy clown reports have resulted in people being arrested and charged with making false police reports, according to a report in the New York Times.

While there have been no threats to any schools, Stocco said the police department and the Toms River Regional School District have coordinated efforts to ensure there are no issues.

"Out of an abundance of caution Chief (Mitchell) Little has directed officers to have a high presence at all of our schools in order to provide an extra layer of security," Stocco said. "Superintendent David Healy is working in conjunction with the police department. They will continue to use their universal safety precautions including that of prohibiting unauthorized visitors, and immediately will contact law enforcement when warranted."

Stocco said rumors of lockdowns and early dismissals are false.

"Please do not call the police department or schools to discuss this matter," Stocco said. "We will take appropriate action to notify parents and the community if we determine that the situation has changed."

"We take the safety of your children very seriously and will continue to monitor all locations while remaining in communication with the school system," Stocco said.

Creepy clown, by GlitterandFrills, via Flickr, under Creative Commons license