A person files a false police report when they knowingly make false statements to the police. In other words, they know the statements are false when they make them. It is not enough that they are simply wrong about the details.[1] If you suspect that a police report contains false information, then you should find evidence that shows the statements are false. Then you should bring this evidence to the attention of the police. If you were harmed by a false police report, then you can sue for money compensation.

Gathering Evidence
Read the police report. You need to actually read the police report. Obtain a copy and read it carefully, highlighting any information you believe is false. You can generally obtain a police report by stopping into the police station and requesting a copy.

• If you have been charged with a crime, then you can get a copy from the prosecutor.
• See Obtain a Police Report for more information.

Identify the falsehood
A police report can contain two types of false information: affirmative falsehoods and falsehoods by omission. You should identify which type the police report contains:

• An affirmative falsehood is a lie. For example, someone claims their neighbor punched them when the neighbor never even touched them.
• A falsehood by omission leaves out important information. It’s technically true but misleading. For example, someone might claim their neighbor was driving and hit their mailbox. However, this person neglects to tell the police that the road was icy and the neighbor lost control of the vehicle.

Find evidence that exonerates you.
You can certainly tell the police that certain statements in a police report are false. However, you will have a much stronger case if you can actually prove the statements are false. To do so, you should gather evidence. The evidence will vary, depending on the falsehood.

• For example, you might have been accused of stealing from a store. If so, then you can request a copy of the store’s security video to show that you didn’t steal anything.
• You might have a third-party witness who observed the incident. You can get their contact information to give to the police.
  Sometimes you might have only your word that you didn’t do something.

This is pretty weak evidence. However, you might be able to point to errors in the police report. This can cast doubt on the credibility of the person who filed the report.