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 Oklahoma, it is indeed a criminal offense to make a false police report of a crime. According to Oklahoma statutes, specifically 21 O.S. § 589, a person who willfully and knowingly makes a false or misleading statement about a crime that they know did not occur, or provides information about a crime with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity, is committing a crime. This applies when the false report is made to a peace officer, a federal special investigator, an authorized employee of a law enforcement agency, or a corrections officer or jailer. The offense can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances, such as the nature of the crime reported and the consequences of the false report. Penalties for making a false police report in Oklahoma can include imprisonment, fines, community service, and probation. The specific classification of the crime and the associated penalties are determined by the relevant state statutes and the discretion of the court.