Of the many things you should never say to a cop, a lie is near the top of the list — especially if that lie is regarding a crime that was never committed. Filing a false police report can be a costly waste of time for law enforcement, not to mention a permanent stain on someone’s reputation. And it might also land you in jail.
Almost every state makes false reporting of a crime its own criminal offense. And although the penalties can vary from state to state, they are all serious.
