Whether it has several thousand people on staff like the Chicago Police Department or a few dozen like the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, false reports can cause unneeded dollars and time to be spent. Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski notes they do not often have cases as extreme as the Jussie Smollett case in Chicago grabbing national headlines, but says there are people who make untruthful claims of damaged or stolen property. From dispatch taking the call, deputies responding to the scene, and investigators collecting facts, Joski says it all starts to add up.

Joski added it gets even worse the more high profile a case may be because of the extra resources required, such as calling in the Wisconsin Department of Justice or another state or federal agency for assistance.