Creepy clowns reported in Regina, police say

The creepy clown craze has spread to Regina and police aren't laughing.

In the U.S. and parts of Canada, there have been numerous reports of people dressing up as clowns and trying to scare people.

• North Bay police searching for suspects dressed as 'creepy clowns'
• Sightings of creepy 'nuisance' clowns a drain on Waterloo police resources
• Creepy clown sightings set off hysteria across North America

This month, there were three clown-related incidents reported in Regina, according to police spokesman Les Parker.

• On Oct. 6, a complaint was received about male wearing clown makeup and a wig carrying a knife. Police went to the 200 block of Argyle Street N. but there was nobody there.
• On Oct. 10, a similar complaint was received about someone wearing a clown mask and carrying a machete on Elgin Road. Again, the suspect could not be located.
• Also on Oct. 10, police got a call about somebody wearing a clown mask on the 3500 block of 7th Avenue. This time there was no weapon involved. Police found a 14-year-old boy at the scene and gave him a verbal warning.

Evan Bray, who was announced as Regina's new chief of police Wednesday, was asked about the phenomenon.

He said its not unusual for an internet fad to spread to Regina, and that appears to be what's happening here.

"This is causing concern in a number of communities," he said.

It's one thing to dress up for Halloween, but that's several weeks away, he said. 

"Let's not make dumb decisions," Bray said. "I would hope people would use their head."
 
Meanwhile, so far there have been no clown-related incidents reported to the Saskatoon Police Service, spokeswoman Alyson Edwards said.

"Knock on wood," Edwards told CBC News in an email.