The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 13: Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Chapter 041: False Alarms and Reports

• § 1751. False alarms to agencies of public safety

  (a) A person who willfully or knowingly gives, or aids or abets in giving, by any means any false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, for dealing with emergencies involving danger to life or property shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both.

  (b) If bodily injury or death is sustained by any person as a result of a violation of this section, the person convicted of the violation in lieu of any penalty imposed by subsection (a) of this section shall be imprisoned for not more than five years or fined not more than $2,000.00, or both; however, this subsection shall not prevent the imposition of a greater fine or sentence against any person who is convicted of any degree of homicide, including manslaughter. (Added 1971, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 1752. Tampering with facilities

  A person who willfully or knowingly tampers with, interferes with, or impairs any public fire alarm apparatus, wire, or associated equipment shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Added 1971, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)

• § 1753. False public alarms

  (a) A person who initiates or willfully circulates or transmits a report or warning of an impending bombing or other offense or catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false or baseless and that it is likely to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transport, or to cause public inconvenience or alarm, shall, for the first offense, be imprisoned for not more than two years or fined not more than $5,000.00, or both. For the second or subsequent offense, the person shall be imprisoned for not more than five years or fined not more than $10,000.00, or both. In addition, the court may order the person to perform community service. Any community service ordered under this section shall be supervised by the Department of Corrections.

  (b) [Repealed.] (Added 1971, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; amended 1997, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1999, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 20; 1999, No. 124 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 2015, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. May 31, 2016.)

• § 1754. False reports to law enforcement authorities

  (a) A person who knowingly gives false information to any law enforcement officer with purpose to implicate another or to deflect an investigation from the person or another person shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both.

  (b) A person shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or fined not more than $500.00, or both, if the person:

  (1) reports to law enforcement authorities an offense or other incident within their concern knowing that it did not occur; or

  (2) pretends to furnish such authorities with information relating to an offense or incident when the person knows the person has no information relating to such offense or incident. (Added 1971, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; amended 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2005, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)