Law enforcement agencies in Antigua and Barbuda are grappling with a persistent problem of fraudulent crime reporting, with cases ranging from people fabricating robberies to cover up embezzled funds to individuals who accidentally shoot themselves then falsely claim they were victims of violent attacks, senior police officials have confirmed.
Assistant Commissioner Lisbon Michael, who leads the country’s Criminal Investigations Department, revealed that the police service receives an average of nine crime reports daily across the twin-island nation, but a significant share of these submissions are entirely fabricated. Michael shared the details of this ongoing challenge during a public interview on ABS’ flagship current affairs program *Antigua Barbuda Today*.
Among the most common false reports Michael highlighted are cases involving custodians of collective “box monies” — community savings funds widely used across local communities — who misappropriate the funds entrusted to them, then file fake robbery or burglary reports to explain the missing cash. In other, more extreme incidents, people who sustain accidental self-inflicted gunshot wounds have deliberately misled investigators by claiming they were shot during armed robbery attempts.
“We have instances where persons accidentally shot themselves and reported to the police that they were robbed and shot during the process,” Michael told the program.
One recent high-profile example cited by Michael involved a young man who contacted police claiming he had been shot in an attack. When investigators processed the scene and collected forensic evidence, they determined the man had actually been injured while tampering with an unregistered, makeshift firearm. That case remains active and is still progressing through the investigative process.
To date, thorough police investigations have uncovered the fraud in dozens of these false report cases, leading a number of people to face criminal charges for public mischief. Some of these cases have already been finalized through the court system, while others are still waiting to be heard.
Michael’s public comments on the issue came as part of a broader discussion of the key hurdles police face in processing crime reports, as well as the force’s ongoing work to reinforce public trust in Antigua and Barbuda’s law enforcement institutions. Addressing false reports is a critical priority for the service, officials note, because fraudulent claims drain valuable investigative time and resources that would otherwise be deployed to solve real crimes and protect local communities.