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 Colorado, making a false report to authorities is considered a criminal offense under Colorado Revised Statutes 18-8-111. A person commits this offense if they knowingly make a false report of a crime or intentionally provide false information to law enforcement officers, federal special investigators, law enforcement agency employees authorized to conduct investigations, or corrections officers and jailers. The intent to deceive must be present, and the false statement must be material to the criminal investigation. Depending on the circumstances, making a false police report in Colorado can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony. The penalties for this crime can include imprisonment, fines, community service, and probation. The specific classification of the offense and the severity of the penalties are determined by the details of the false report and the impact it had on the criminal investigation.