It had to be in the weeks running up to Halloween, of course.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a big red nose and novelty wig, you probably know that there has been a rash of ‘creepy clown’ sightings in communities across the country. These creepy clowns – and the related threats they seem to pose – seem to range from crazy hoaxes to credible events. So what in the name of big, floppy shoes is going on here?
Some arrests have been made. Schools have sent out warning letters. Social media is crawling with creepy, homemade clown videos. And the subject even came up at the White House media briefing this week.
We need an explanation for why, all of a sudden, there are creepy clowns running around our neighborhoods and – in some cases – our wild imaginations.
CNN posted six possibilities in an attempt to answer that very question. It’s a very good article and accompanying video. The possibilities, according to the folks they’ve interviewed range from folklore to viral marketing, and more. Of interest is the viewpoint of Benjamin Radford, author of the book “Bad Clowns“.
As the Los Angeles Times points out in an article HERE, the stupidity began in South Carolina with upsetting accounts of clowns attempting to lure children into the woods. (Those accounts seem to have proven false, by the way.) That said, the craze has expanded and, according to the same LA Times article, clown sightings were reported in Modesto, CA prompting police to issue a notice to residents that read: “If you see anything or anyone suspicious, including individuals dressed as clowns, to avoid contact and report the circumstances to us immediately.”
Even the Insane Clown Posse has weighed in on the subject. The Detroit-based hip-hop duo suggests the phenomenon is “basically nothing more than mass hysteria and moral panic.”
“Believe it or not, the same thing happened in 1981, too. Long before social media, Stephen King wrote (the horror classic) ‘It’ and Insane Clown Posse were in GRADE SCHOOL at the time! So there ARE no ‘killer clowns’ — it’s just jackasses being jackasses. Everyone relax!”, they posted.
In an article posted at Michigan Live HERE, it is pointed out that Loren Coleman, a cryptozoologist who studies the folklore behind mythical beasts such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, came up with something called “The Phantom Clown Theory,” which attributes the proliferation of clown sightings to mass hysteria.
After some thorough research, it seems that the prevailing thought is that there are no credible threats from Creepy Clowns. Fuelling the hysteria, of course, are utterly false reports that continue to make the rounds in social media. Snopes, the myth debunking (or confirming) website talks about a report that creepy clowns are responsible for two dozen murders in Canada. Spoiler alert: It’s not true.
Perhaps the biggest concern is that these creepy clowns take it too far, a la the snowball effect. We should be concerned that someone could be legitimately hurt as the trend grows. It’s even more possible that someone will take one of these creepy clowns as a legitimate threat and take matters into their own hands. We hope neither of those things happen, but we’d sure love to see a lot less of this clowning around.
About the Author
Tyler Wood is Operations Director of Austin, TX based Crime Tech Solutions (www.crimetechsolutions.com). The company develops and deploys low price / high performance software for law enforcement including Case Closed™ investigative case management software, sophisticated Sentinel Visualizer™ link analysis and data visualization software, and CrimeMap Pro™ advanced crime analytics. The company also develops the popular GangBuster™ gang database, and IntelNexus™ criminal intelligence software for 28 CFR Part 23 compliance.
The United States Constitution prohibits the criminalization of mere membership in a gang (or other similar organization). There is nothing illegal about being a gang member, according to our country’s laws. However, it is perfectly legal for agencies to add gang members to the database even if no crime has been committed by that member. 
28 CFR Part 23 was designed as a regulation specific to multi-jurisdictional intelligence systems that have received federal grant funds for the development or purchase of the gang database. It is, however, an excellent guide for individual agencies, as the regulation attempts to fairly balance the intelligence needs of law enforcement against individual privacy requirements. In other words, it helps agencies get their jobs done without violating individual rights. 
The International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA) 2016 conference is in full swing in Louisville, KY. Here is some good, local video coverage of the event…
Since its introduction nearly a decade ago, big data in the form of analytics has helped police agencies all over the world enhance decision making, improve strategies to combat crime, and ultimately solve—and prevent—more crimes. But while the benefits of mining and critically analyzing huge amounts of data are being realized in other developed countries from the United Kingdom to Canada to New Zealand, U.S. law enforcement agencies have generally been slower to jump on the bandwagon.
None of this is news, nor is it a criticism of U.S. police departments. It simply reflects Americans’ independent nature and the way in which law enforcement in this country is structured. It’s the thing that makes us great but, in the case of analytics, it’s also a major factor slowing analytics adoption.
All of these factors have contributed to slowing the adoption of analytics by U.S. police agencies. They are also complicated by perhaps the most intangible impediment: fear of technology. Whether they like to admit it or not, some law enforcement leaders are more comfortable taking an “old school” approach to police work. They prefer business as usual, which means feet on the street and files stacked on their detectives’ desks, not sleek, state-of-the-art technology.
The public is also demanding increased police effectiveness and efficiency. Responding to that pressure, police chiefs are recognizing that big data solutions can have a huge impact on reducing the number of man-hours it takes to sift through mountains of data in order to solve crimes. This is particularly important as law enforcement finds itself confronting not only the standard array of home break-ins, car thefts, and the like, but also the threat of “lone wolf” terrorist attacks, cybercrime, and highly sophisticated international trafficking rings.
The growing use of cloud computing plays a role in this equation. Storing data in the cloud is becoming accepted as safe and secure, bringing with it economic advantages and removing the need for departments to provide highly specialized IT staff and infrastructure previously required to support analytical solutions.
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Mr. Konczal is a seasoned start-up and marketing expert with over 30 years of diversified business management, marketing and start-up experience in information technology and consumer goods. Additionally, Konczal has over two decades of Public Safety service as a police officer, Deputy Sheriff and Special Agent.
A recent report questions how some police departments are using data to forecast future crimes.
ryant worked with the Shawnee, Kansas, Police Department on research that looked at what he calls “smart policing.” In his research and in other work he has read, Bryant said it’s important for police to have a high visibility in crime hot spots, for officers to make connections with the public and for them to avoid staying in crime hot spots for extended periods of time.