Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 509 – False public alarm or report; aggravated false public alarm or report
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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1. A person is guilty of false public alarm or report if:
A. The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to a law enforcement officer, an emergency communications center or the enhanced 9-1-1 services established in Title 25, chapter 352 with the intent of inducing the officer, the emergency communications center or any other emergency services personnel to believe that a crime has been committed or that another has committed a crime, knowing the information to be false; [PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (AMD).]
B. The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to a law enforcement officer, a member of a firefighting agency, including a volunteer fire department, an emergency communications center, the enhanced 9-1-1 services established in Title 25, chapter 352 or any other person knowing that the other person is likely to communicate the information to a law enforcement officer, a member of a firefighting agency, an emergency communications center or any other emergency services personnel concerning a fire, explosive or other similar substance that is capable of endangering the safety of persons, knowing that the information is false, or knowing that the person has no information relating to the fire, explosive or other similar substance; or [PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (AMD).]
C. The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information concerning an emergency to an ambulance service, an emergency communications center, the enhanced 9-1-1 services established in Title 25, chapter 352, any other emergency services personnel or a government agency or public utility that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property, with the intent of inducing the service, personnel, agency, center or utility to respond to the reported emergency, knowing the information to be false. [PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (AMD).]
A violation of this subsection is a Class D crime.
For the purposes of this subsection, “emergency communications center” means a state, county or municipal government entity that receives calls by 9-1-1, business lines, radio or other methods requesting public service or emergency response from public safety agencies and, as appropriate, dispatches requests to public safety agencies and assists in coordinating the response between agencies and other specialized professionals.
[PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (AMD).]
Attorney's Note
Under the Maine Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class C crime | up to 5 years | up to $5,000 |
| Class D crime | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
2.
[PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (RP).]
3. A person is guilty of aggravated false public alarm or report if the person violates subsection 1 and the violation causes the evacuation, shutdown or lockdown of a building, school, public square or park, place of assembly or public transportation facility.
A violation of this subsection is a Class C crime.
[PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW). PL 1975, c. 740, §68 (AMD). PL 1977, c. 510, §56 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (AMD).