In the last few weeks, stories of people posing as menacing clowns and threats from clowns have run rampant online, including a recent vague threat to a series of cities in the Twin Cities area. Because of this, many people have been contacting the Duluth Police worried about our area. Chief Mike Tusken took to Facebook to address some of these concerns.

The overarching message on Facebook from Chief Tusken is that any threats around Minnesota, including any rumors around Duluth, have been hoaxes so far. At the same time, he did encourage the public to call 911 if you see anything suspicious. Being that schools have been involved in many of the hoaxes around the country, Chief Tusken did share that police will continue to ensure safety around schools as they always have with patrols around campuses and officers in the schools.

Tusken did also address a great question from a member of the public about whether or not someone can be arrested for just wearing a creepy clown costume in public. Tusken shared that Minnesota Statue 609.735 states that is a misdemeanor to conceal your identity in a public place using a robe, mask, or other disguise "unless it is based on religious beliefs, or incidental to amusement, entertainment, protection from weather, or medical treatment."

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