Campus Alert Archive
Columbia

Package burglaries on West 122nd Street

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Under Investigation

Columbia Public Safety issued Clery Crime Alert 2025-W32.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Columbia University
Private R1 · NY
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~33,000 studentsColumbia Public Safety Clery Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how Columbia says it will use Emergency Notification System: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim2324 chars
Clery Crime Alert Burglaries - Package Thefts Columbia University Public Safety was recently informed that on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m. three Burglaries occurred at 540 West 122nd Street, 520 West 122nd Street, and 506 West 122nd Street. All incidents appeared to have been committed by the same suspect, a male-presenting person, with a slim build, dark complexion, dark mustache and beard, wearing a dark green jacket with a yellow hoodie underneath, and black pants, carrying an Aldi tote bag. They entered 540 West 122nd Street by ringing several apartments and then getting buzzed in by an unknown tenant. The same suspect also entered the 520 and 506 buildings by the same means, removing several packages from the main lobby. No other information is available currently. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 212-854-2797. Harm Reduction Strategies When safe and if possible, do not allow others to piggyback behind you when you are entering your apartment building. If you do not feel safe stopping a person from piggybacking behind you, you can always call Public Safety (212-854-2797) once you are in a safe location. Do NOT buzz people into your building if you do not know who they are. Make sure the doors lock behind you every time to enter or exit a building. Stay informed about delivery statuses and estimated arrival times and try to retrieve your package in a timely manner. Many mail carriers (UPS, Fed Ex) have offices where you can drop-off and pick-up your packages safely. You can also arrange delivery to partnered local businesses, like pharmacies. DISCLAIMER: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community. To see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more information about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the Department’s Clery Act Compliance Director, Roberto A. Pineda Sanchez at ps-compliance@columbia.edu.
Verify this quote
Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (2025-W32)publicsafety.columbia.edufind archived copies
PDF text layer ligatures normalized to ASCII. sha256 488c9e0e9327812a3eaa0c63880b8d5c61a8633593699e798639cd6c5c7d2712. Dual-fetch PDF bytes as packaged.
Columbia Clery 2025-W32 flyer.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, SuperGrok Heavy 4.5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Clery Crime Alert Burglaries - Package Thefts Columbia University Public Safety was recently informed that on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m. three Burglaries occurred at 540 West 122nd Street, 520 West 122nd Street, and 506 West 122nd Street. All incidents appeared to have been committed by the same suspect, a male-presenting person, with a slim build, dark complexion, dark mustache and beard, wearing a dark green jacket with a yellow hoodie underneath, and black pants, carrying an Aldi tote bag. They entered 540 West 122nd Street by ringing several apartments and then getting buzzed in by an unknown tenant. The same suspect also entered the 520 and 506 buildings by the same means, removing several packages from the main lobby. No other information is available currently. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 212-854-2797. Harm Reduction Strategies When safe and if possible, do not allow others to piggyback behind you when you are entering your apartment building. If you do not feel safe stopping a person from piggybacking behind you, you can always call Public Safety (212-854-2797) once you are in a safe location. Do NOT buzz people into your building if you do not know who they are. Make sure the doors lock behind you every time to enter or exit a building. Stay informed about delivery statuses and estimated arrival times and try to retrieve your package in a timely manner. Many mail carriers (UPS, Fed Ex) have offices where you can drop-off and pick-up your packages safely. You can also arrange delivery to partnered local businesses, like pharmacies. DISCLAIMER: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community. To see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more information about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the Department’s Clery Act Compliance Director, Roberto A. Pineda Sanchez at ps-compliance@columbia.edu.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Source present: the Clery Crime Alert names Columbia University Public Safety as the informing authority.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" name the issuing authority.
    2. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" identify the issuing authority.
    3. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as the source.
    4. present: Clery Crime Alert and Columbia University Public Safety identify the source.
    5. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" identify the issuer.
    6. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the issuing authority.
    7. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety identify the sender.
    8. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the sender.
    9. present: Clery Crime Alert and Columbia University Public Safety identify the source.
    10. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety identify the issuer.
    11. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the issuing authority.
    12. present: Clery Crime Alert and Columbia University Public Safety identify who issued the warning.
    13. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the issuing authority.
    14. present: Opens with Clery Crime Alert and names Columbia University Public Safety.
    15. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the authority.
    16. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" name the issuer.
    17. present: Clery Crime Alert and Columbia University Public Safety identify who issued the alert.
    18. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety identify the issuing authority.
    19. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the sender.
    20. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the issuing authority.
    21. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name who is sending the alert.
    22. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety identify the sender.
    23. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety name the issuer.
    24. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" identify the sender.
    25. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and "Columbia University Public Safety" name the source.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Hazard present because the text names three burglaries involving package thefts.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It specifies "Burglaries - Package Thefts".
    2. present: The heading specifies burglaries and package thefts as the threat.
    3. present: It names burglaries and package thefts, including removing several packages from the main lobby.
    4. present: The heading and body name burglaries and package thefts as the hazard.
    5. present: It names "Burglaries" and "Package Thefts" as the specific threat.
    6. present: The heading names "Burglaries - Package Thefts" as the specific hazard.
    7. present: The hazard is specified as burglaries and package thefts.
    8. present: The heading names burglaries and package thefts, and the body reports packages taken from lobbies.
    9. present: The alert names burglaries and package thefts as the threat.
    10. present: The heading and body name "Burglaries" and "Package Thefts".
    11. present: The alert specifies "Burglaries" and "Package Thefts" as the threat.
    12. present: It names burglaries and package thefts as the threat.
    13. present: It names "Burglaries - Package Thefts" as the threat.
    14. present: It names burglaries and package thefts as the specific threat.
    15. present: It specifies "Burglaries - Package Thefts" as the threat.
    16. present: The heading and body specify burglaries and package thefts.
    17. present: It names burglaries and lobby package thefts as the specific hazard.
    18. present: It names "Burglaries" and "Package Thefts" as the specific threat.
    19. present: It specifies three "Burglaries" and package thefts from lobbies.
    20. present: The alert specifies "Burglaries" and "Package Thefts" as the threat.
    21. present: "Burglaries - Package Thefts" names the specific threat, including packages taken from lobbies.
    22. present: The heading names "Burglaries - Package Thefts" as the specific threat.
    23. present: It specifies "Burglaries - Package Thefts" as the hazard.
    24. present: It names "Burglaries" and "Package Thefts" as the specific threats.
    25. present: The heading specifies "Burglaries - Package Thefts".
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Location present: 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are named: 540, 520, and 506.
    2. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are named as the crime sites.
    3. present: It lists 540 West 122nd Street, 520 West 122nd Street, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    4. present: Three addresses are given: 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    5. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are given as the crime sites.
    6. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are given: 540, 520, and 506.
    7. present: Three street addresses on West 122nd Street are named.
    8. present: It lists 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    9. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are given: 540, 520, and 506.
    10. present: Three West 122nd Street addresses are given: 540, 520, and 506.
    11. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street (540, 520, and 506) locate the incidents.
    12. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are given: 540, 520, and 506.
    13. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are given: 540, 520, and 506.
    14. present: It lists 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street as the three crime sites.
    15. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street (540, 520, and 506) are named.
    16. present: Three street addresses on West 122nd Street are named.
    17. present: Three buildings are named: 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    18. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are given: 540, 520, and 506.
    19. present: Addresses are 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    20. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are named: 540, 520, and 506.
    21. present: Three burglaries occurred at 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    22. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are named: 540, 520, and 506.
    23. present: Three addresses on West 122nd Street are named as the locations.
    24. present: It lists 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
    25. present: Three addresses are given: 540, 520, and 506 West 122nd Street.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Guidance present: tips tell recipients not to buzz unknown people in, to make sure doors lock, and to retrieve packages promptly.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It instructs not to allow piggybacking, not to buzz unknown people, and to lock doors.
    2. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people in, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    3. present: Harm reduction tells readers not to allow piggybacking, not to buzz unknown people in, and to lock doors.
    4. present: Harm Reduction tells recipients not to buzz strangers, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    5. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    6. present: Readers are instructed not to allow piggybacking, not to buzz unknown people, and to lock doors.
    7. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people and to make doors lock behind them.
    8. present: Harm reduction instructs not to buzz unknown people, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    9. present: Readers are told not to allow piggybacking, not to buzz strangers, and to lock doors.
    10. present: Protective steps include not buzzing strangers, blocking piggybacking, and locking doors.
    11. present: Harm reduction tells people not to buzz strangers, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    12. present: Harm reduction tells people not to buzz strangers, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    13. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    14. present: Harm reduction tells readers not to allow piggybacking, not to buzz unknown people, and to lock doors.
    15. present: Harm reduction instructs not to piggyback, not to buzz unknowns, and to lock doors.
    16. present: Readers are told not to buzz strangers, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    17. present: Harm reduction tells recipients not to buzz strangers, not to piggyback others, and to lock doors.
    18. present: Harm reduction tells readers not to buzz strangers, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    19. present: Readers are told not to buzz unknown people, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    20. present: Harm Reduction Strategies instruct not to buzz unknown people and to make doors lock behind you.
    21. present: Harm reduction says not to buzz unknown people, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    22. present: Harm Reduction Strategies tell readers not to buzz strangers, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    23. present: Guidance includes not buzzing unknown persons, no piggybacking, and locking doors.
    24. present: Harm reduction tells readers not to buzz unknown people in, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
    25. present: It instructs not to buzz unknown people in, not to allow piggybacking, and to lock doors.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Time present via Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The burglaries occurred Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    2. present: It times the events on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    3. present: It times the burglaries on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    4. present: It states Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    5. present: It times the incidents on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    6. present: The burglaries are timed Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    7. present: The incidents are placed on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    8. present: The burglaries occurred Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    9. present: It places the events on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    10. present: The burglaries are timed on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    11. present: It reports Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    12. present: The burglaries are placed on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    13. present: The burglaries occurred Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    14. present: It gives Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    15. present: The burglaries occurred Thursday, November 6, 2025 between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    16. present: It times the events on Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    17. present: The events are timed Thursday, November 6, 2025 between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    18. present: It states Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    19. present: It times the events Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    20. present: The burglaries are timed Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    21. present: It times the events as Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    22. present: It states Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    23. present: It states Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    24. present: It times the burglaries on Thursday, November 6, 2025 between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
    25. present: The burglaries occurred Thursday, November 6, 2025, between 3:29 p.m. and 3:43 p.m.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Impact absent: taking lobby packages restates the thefts without injury, danger, or other severity.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: Taking packages from the lobby restates the theft, without injury, danger, or severity.
    2. absent: Removing packages describes the crime outcome, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    3. absent: No consequence or severity statement is given beyond the burglary and package removal.
    4. absent: Removing packages from the lobby describes the theft, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    5. absent: Taking packages from the lobby restates the theft, not harm or severity to people.
    6. absent: Removing packages is the completed theft, not a severity or harm statement, and the crime name alone is not Impact.
    7. absent: Taking packages from the lobby restates the theft, not a consequence or severity.
    8. absent: Removing packages is the theft itself, not a statement of injury, danger, or other impact.
    9. absent: Taking packages is the offense itself, not a stated consequence such as danger or injury.
    10. absent: Taking packages from the lobby describes the crime, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    11. absent: Removing packages from lobbies describes the thefts, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    12. absent: Removing packages describes the theft, not injury, danger, or other consequences for people.
    13. absent: Removing packages from the lobby restates the theft and is not a harm or severity statement.
    14. absent: Removing packages from the lobby is the theft itself, not impact language about harm or severity.
    15. absent: Removing packages from lobbies restates the crime, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    16. absent: Removing packages from the lobby describes the theft itself, not injury or severity.
    17. absent: Taking packages from lobbies restates the crime, not a separate consequence or severity.
    18. absent: Taking packages from the lobby describes the theft, not injury, danger, or other impact.
    19. absent: Removing packages is the theft itself, with no stated injury, danger, or other harm.
    20. absent: Taking packages from the lobby is the theft itself, not a consequence or severity statement.
    21. absent: Removing lobby packages restates the thefts and does not convey injury, danger, or other impact.
    22. absent: Removing packages is the theft itself, not an impact statement about injury or danger.
    23. absent: Taking packages is the completed theft, not an impact statement about harm or severity.
    24. absent: Removing packages is the theft itself, not a stated harm such as injury or danger.
    25. absent: Removing packages from the lobby is what the thief already did, not a stated consequence or severity.

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Columbia Public Safety posts Clery Crime Alerts as PDFs. Official product: the 2025-W32 warning.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official Clery Crime Alert PDF recovered from the Public Safety files host.
Outcome
Public Safety seeking tips at 212-854-2797.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (2025-W32)
    publicsafety.columbia.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Columbia University: Package burglaries on West 122nd Street." Incident of November 6, 2025. Added September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/columbia-university-122nd-street-package-burglaries-2025-11-06/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
private-r1new-yorkcolumbiaivycleryburglaryUnder Investigation
Added September 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion