A popular prank has apparently gotten out of hand in Mishicot.
The idea of throwing toilet paper over someone’s home and property as a practical joke dates back to the 1850s and gained popularity in the 1960s, mainly around Halloween.
That tradition has become commonplace for teenagers during their high school’s homecoming week.
It is no different in the Village of Mishicot, but the police department says this year’s antics have gone above and beyond good, clean fun.
In a statement to students and the youth, Police Chief Paul Granger stated, “We are now seeing elderly residents being targeted and harassed, property being damaged, and vehicles being damaged. At that point, this is no longer harmless fun. It is causing real problems for people in our community.”
In response, anyone caught “TP-ing” will be “charged appropriately.”
Chief Granger admitted, “We don’t want to take this position, and we certainly don’t want to eliminate a tradition that can be harmless when everyone involved is willing and the property is respected. But we cannot ignore conduct that crosses the line into harassment or property damage.”
This is not necessarily a permanent change, as Chief Granger said to the students, “You have the ability to determine where this goes from here. We hope we can quickly move past the problems we’ve seen this year and, in the future, possibly see this tradition continue in a way that is safe, respectful, and limited to people who are willing participants.”
He also encouraged parents to talk with their children about where the line is, and how to have fun without crossing it.
