It is a criminal offense to make a false police report of a crime—knowingly and with the intent to deceive—if the statement is material to a criminal investigation and is made to (1) a peace officer or federal special investigator conducting the investigation; (2) any employee of a law enforcement agency that is authorized by the agency to conduct the investigation and that the person making the statement knows is conducting the investigation; or (3) a corrections officer or jailer.

The crime of making a false police report may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony, depending on the state, and is punishable in many states by jail time, fines, community service, and probation. The definitions and punishments for the crime of making a false police report vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Mississippi, it is indeed a criminal offense to knowingly make a false report of a crime with the intent to deceive. This applies when the false statement is material to a criminal investigation and is made to a peace officer, federal special investigator, an authorized employee of a law enforcement agency, or a corrections officer or jailer. The specific statutes that address this issue can be found in the Mississippi Code. The offense can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances of the case, such as the severity of the alleged crime reported or the consequences of the false report. Penalties for making a false police report in Mississippi can include imprisonment, fines, community service, and probation. The exact definitions, charges, and penalties are outlined in the state's statutes and are determined based on the individual facts of each case.