WASHINGTON — The recent rash of unusual sightings of people in clown costumes has arrived in Maryland.
Police say that several children in Annapolis have reported seeing people walking around wearing face paint and clown costumes.
The sightings have been in the 700 block of Newtowne Drive; Bens Drive near Victor Parkway; and the 1400 block of Tyler Avenue, beginning last Thursday. The most recent sighting was 8:30 a.m. Monday.
The Annapolis police emphasize that they haven’t confirmed these sightings, adding that the reports have come only from children, but they want to make sure parents and children remember the basics of safety, as outlined from the National Crime Prevention Council.
For parents, that means knowing where your children are, telling them to run from an adult who makes them feel scared or uncomfortable, and encouraging kids to play in groups.
Kids shouldn’t talk to or take anything from strangers. They should do anything they can, including kicking and screaming “this is not my dad” or “this is not my mom,” to avoid being taken away by a stranger, and they should report anything suspicious to their parents, the police or any adult at school.
Police have been dealing with reports of people wearing clown makeup and costumes trying to talk to kids in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina in recent months. In some of these incidents, people have been charged with making false reports.
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