Connecticut State Police are warning that clown pranks are no laughing matter.  In the bizarre trend sweeping the nation, people dressed as clowns have stricken fear into communities.  State Police say while it's not illegal to dress as a clown, it's illegal to do so with the intent of causing alarm. 

Troopers warned that people dressing as clowns and engaging in threatening or alarming behavior will be immediately addressed by law enforcement. 

State Police says there are many other emergencies and calls for service that troopers and other first responders need to get to without being misdirected to a prank.  These incidents are similar to the swatting where resources are carelessly misdirected.  State Police say these clown pranks can cause major disruptions leading to schools, businesses and neighborhoods being placed into lockdown unnecessarily. 

Creating social media pages inciting violence or alluding to creating fear in communities will be handled as criminal matters.  State Police are reminding people that online actions are not anonymous and officers will continue working with social media companies to identify those inappropriately using social media to cause panic. 

At least five individuals have already been taken into custody in Connecticut for engaging in this type of behavior.