Pennywise – the demonic, bloodthirsty clown plucked fresh from our nightmares and Stephen King's It — is enough of a fright on-screen that we don't need to worry about someone trying to measure up to him IRL. So to the person (or people) attempting to lure people into the sewers of southern Pennsylvania with red balloons for the sake of a really good prank: STAHHHHP.

In Lititz Borough, local police officers have been removing red balloons tied to sewer grates in the days leading up to the movie's release, and they're freaked out and annoyed about the stunts that recall the famous calling card of the It villain. Mesmerizing kids with balloons is Pennywise's modus operandi, and as we find out within the first few minutes of It, the sighting of one just floating about means serious trouble.

"I don't think we have an accurate balloon count, but it's definitely above 20," Sergeant Stephen Detz of the Lititz Borough Police Department told CBS News. "They pretty much hit the entire town and the area around the town."

In a Facebook post on September 5, the LBPD admitted that they "give points for creativity, however we want the local prankster to know that we were completely terrified as we removed these balloons from the grates and we respectfully request they do not do that again."

Very much so same. It hits theaters on September 8. Approach a red balloon (or your local sewer, for that matter) at your own risk.