Earlier this week we wrote about a local postal carrier, who is accused of filing a false police report.

Regardless of how that case turns out, there have been several cases over the last year where the LaGrange Police Department has dealt with someone falsely reporting a crime. Sgt. William Nelson with the LPD said it usually happens a couple of times each year.

Any time a crime occurs — especially a serious one such as a robbery or attempted robbery — the LPD responds with numerous officers, including investigators to lead the case. When a crime of that magnitude occurs, a significant portion of the city’s police force might be tied up in response, as officers search for the suspect, talk to witnesses and try to piece together what happened.

That’s why it’s such a shame that anyone would make up a crime. While investigators are looking into something that didn’t happen, actual incidents are taking place that require assistance from police officers.

On top of that, any type of unsolved crime creates fear in the public. In a couple of instances over the last few years, a made-up robbery attempt resulted in a weeks-long search for a suspect who actually didn’t exist. We’re sure anyone who lived near the alleged location of the crime kept their guard up as well.

Law enforcement officers have plenty of work to do and spend their days investigating real crimes, working accident scenes and assisting with other miscellaneous calls. Making up a crime is a waste of taxpayer money and the city’s resources.

There’s never a reason to do it under any circumstances.