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 Vermont, making a false police report is considered a criminal offense under Vermont Statutes Title 13, Section 1754. This law states that a person is guilty of giving false information to a law enforcement officer if they knowingly provide any law enforcement officer with false information with the intent to implicate another. It is also an offense to make a false alarm to a law enforcement agency. The crime is typically treated as a misdemeanor, which can result in penalties including fines and imprisonment. The severity of the punishment may vary depending on the circumstances of the false report and its impact on the criminal investigation. It is important for individuals to understand that making a false report not only wastes law enforcement resources but also carries legal consequences that can include incarceration and fines.