Falsifying documents is simply being dishonest. Therefore, falsifying any information to law enforcement is illegal. Nevertheless, when it relates to documenting dishonest police reports this can lead to a conviction. The decision to make an arrest relies heavily on the case information that was falsified. The more severe the case, it is possible the more severe the charge would be.
Recording a false police report in layman terms is deceiving the police. More often than not, individuals will record police reports that may benefit them in sensitive cases, such as divorce cases. For instance, informing an officer that your partner struck you when they didn’t so that a divorce case rules more likely in your favor. Or neglecting certain facts when telling “your side of the story” so that you seem like more of a victim. This is also seen as falsifying a police report. It is incredibly easy to report others to the police while at the same time attempting to make an effort not to implicate yourself.
For instance, a verbal debate may regularly incite an actual physical altercation. Assuming someone decided to call the police to report that they were smacked in the face by a companion they were arguing with and neglect to make reference that they threw the first punch, the avoidance of this detail changes the current realities of the case entirely. While the facts demonstrate that the individual making the police report was smacked in the face, the fact that they were hit specifically after they struck the other party will implicate them.
As a lawyer, like a criminal lawyer from a law firm like The Lynch Law Group understands, this is without a doubt illegal and can provoke a false report charge for you. The example shared above is exceptionally minor in comparison to more severe cases like kidnapping, murder, or theft. Falsifying data on the police report in regard to charges of those magnitudes could likely cause you to be arrested.
Regardless of how outrageous or minor the case is, it is incautious to record a false police report. Nonetheless, it happens and when you don’t know about the law you can’t grasp the law. If you have filed a police report with inaccurate information and you were initially simply uneducated, contact the department you filed with and try to right your wrong as soon as possible. If you filed false data intentionally, speak with a criminal lawyer you can count on as soon as you can and before you appear in court.