Beware Of Creepy Clowns This Fall, Pennsylvania State Police Warn

Beware of creepy clowns.

That's the advice from Pennsylvania State Police, who say the creepy clown craze of fall 2016 could happen all over again in the coming months. The agency issued a community awareness bulletin Wednesday warning residents to be prepared for a resurgence in creepy clowns as soon as September.

Creepy clown sightings were rampant in the fall 2016 across Pennsylvania and the nation. State Police fear those sightings may again happen this year with the movie "It" being released on Sept. 8.

"It is anticipated that similar 'creepy clown' sightings could be reported starting as soon as September, Pennsylvania State Police said in the community awareness bulletin.

Last year, an outbreak of suspicious clown sightings that spread to Pennsylvania prompted a state police investigation. There were numerous instances of suspicious clown sightings, including a clown that harassed children near a playground and another report of a clown peering through someone's windows.

The sightings turned into "clown panic" and in an October 2016 Community Awareness Bulletin, Pennsylvania State Police encouraged residents to notify law enforcement via a toll-free Terrorism Tip line to report suspicious clown-related activity.

"Creepy clown sightings are nothing new to this country or throughout the world," Pennsylvania State Police said in the bulletin. "In the 1980s, clown sightings were reported in several locations throughout Boston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Arlington Heights. Upon investigation, police noticed that most, if not all of the clown sightings, were only being witnessed by children between the ages of five to seven."

Patch file photo