University News

Letter from OPS Director Harris: Pranks & More

October 5, 2016

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Dear University Community,

Many people seem to love a good scare, as evidenced by the popularity of haunted house excursions during the Halloween season, box office numbers for scary movies and sweeping views on YouTube of "good natured" pranks. However, due to the recent "creepy clown" phenomenon sweeping the nation and being reported across the globe via media, I would like to remind our University community that while some pranks may be considered, or perceived as, harmless, they can, in fact, elicit fear within a community and/or potentially lead to harm or a tragic event.

As the director of the Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety, I ask our University community members to be mindful and to think twice before participating in what may seem to be a harmless prank. As the "creepy clown" reports gain even greater leverage in the media, I urge our community to refrain from adding to this recent phenomenon. We have not had any clown sighting reports to date.

We encourage our University community to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. We do, and will, take all reports seriously. That said, individuals who decide to partake in these "harmless" pranks could be cited for disturbing the peace or for disorderly conduct. More importantly, calls that come in for a suspicious subject (or subjects) that turn out to be a prank could potentially lead to a delay in response for a serious situation.

We encourage our students to make the most of their college experience. However, we want all students to act in a safe, responsible manner that causes no harm to themselves or others.

Individuals who witness a crime or anything suspicious should contact OPS immediately at (309) 298-1949 or dial 9-1-1.

Sincerely,

Scott Harris
Director
Office of Public Safety

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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