Reports of suspicious clown sightings have started to appear in the police reports in Harford County and elsewhere in Maryland.
Threats of violence against students in Havre de Grace area schools that would involve clowns were made on the social media platform Snapchat last Friday. Police and school officials investigated and determined the threats were unfounded.
Similar reports around the state have prompted schools to be locked down, as happened in Carroll County on Wednesday, with the same outcome. The threats were deemed unfounded by investigators.
Police agencies in Harford County haven't found any suspicious clowns yet, despite receiving reports that they are out there. Unfortunately, they also haven't been able to identify the clowns who make such ridiculous reports or who circulate threats among the local school population.
None of this is a laughing matter, particularly in these times, when every threat, no matter how seemingly bizarre or childish, has to be taken with dead seriousness by the people sworn to protect us.
Why it happens is a question for the phycologists and psychiatrists. No doubt truckloads of research papers have been produced on inciting mass hysteria and the sick idiots who get their kicks by perpetrating hoaxes like those going on involving clowns.
The problem is that it only takes one threat to be real to be a big, big – possibly fatal – problem.
Our police officers already have their hands full protecting the community from the usual run-of-the-mill criminals, who have been joined by the potential terrorist element.
Don't add to the problem. If you know somebody who is pulling hoaxes like this clown show and making threats, turn them in, rat them out.