On April 17, 2017, CU Boulder Police issued a summons for false reporting to a 21-year-old CU student. On March 25, 2017, the student reported to CUPD that he had been robbed by force in Lot 437, just north of the Engineering Center. In accordance with the federal Clery Act for campus safety, a timely warning email was issued to the campus to make you aware that there may be a continuing threat.
After investigating the reported crime, CUPD determined that the student made up the story and the crime never occurred.
False reports can create unnecessary concern. In this case, patrol officers and detectives spent many hours unnecessarily tracking down leads and conducting interviews. Several people who matched the description of the alleged suspect were contacted by officers.
“When people falsely report being a victim of a crime, we take it seriously and it will not be tolerated by CUPD,” said Chief of Police Ken Koch. “False reporting unnecessarily causes our community to panic and wastes the time of our officers and investigators.”
False reporting is a class 3 misdemeanor, which carries with it the potential of up to six months in jail as well as fines that can range from $50 to $750.
