Knodl and Krug Introduce Bill To Help Law Enforcement Control Costs

State Representatives Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) and Scott Krug (R-Wisconsin Rapids) today introduced legislation to give law enforcement agencies the flexibility to recoup their costs when responding to a false report of a crime.

“The time and effort wasted responding to a blatant lie by a criminal should not fall on the backs of those on the front line working to keep our families and communities safe,” stated Knodl. “If a criminal has taken steps to send police on a wild goose chase, they should be
liable for those costs.”

Under current law, a person who is convicted of obstructing a law enforcement officer by providing false information to the officer or by placing physical evidence with the intent to mislead may be assessed costs.

This legislation would clearly state that a judge has the ability to order restitution to the law enforcement agency for reasonable personnel costs and costs associated with the use of police or emergency response vehicles.

“This is common sense legislation,” stated Krug. “Not only are we protecting our taxpayers from the criminal acts of the few; this bill will also act as a deterrent to those who would lie to law enforcement to protect themselves from the truth.”