Campus Alert Archive
Columbia

Fondling reported at 603 West 168th Street

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NYsexual assaulttimely warninghigh confidence
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Under Investigation

Columbia Public Safety issued Clery Crime Alert 2025-W38.

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 verbatim1562 chars
Clery Crime Alert Fondling The Department of Public Safety was just informed by the NYPD that on Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m. a fondling incident occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli located on 603 West 168 Street. The individual is described as male presenting with a dark complexion. They were wearing a bright ski-mask, dark clothing, and were on a black bicycle. The victim was standing outside of the deli when the suspect rode past them, grabbed their buttocks and fled the scene going west on West 168 Street towards Fort Washington Avenue. A police report was filed. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Public Safety at 212-305-8100. Harm Reduction Strategies: Be aware of your surroundings, especially when walking alone. Travel in well-lit and high-traffic areas. If you are the victim of a crime, do not engage further with the assailant as that may put you in further danger. 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 Compliance Unit by emailing ps-compliance@columbia.edu.
Verify this quote
Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (2025-W38)publicsafety.columbia.edufind archived copies
PDF text layer ligatures normalized to ASCII. sha256 239e63d4e7094bd75466d3f79734f99b6038f0b431ecdd5521b9a77cae34c091. Dual-fetch PDF bytes as packaged.
Columbia Clery 2025-W38 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 Fondling The Department of Public Safety was just informed by the NYPD that on Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m. a fondling incident occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli located on 603 West 168 Street. The individual is described as male presenting with a dark complexion. They were wearing a bright ski-mask, dark clothing, and were on a black bicycle. The victim was standing outside of the deli when the suspect rode past them, grabbed their buttocks and fled the scene going west on West 168 Street towards Fort Washington Avenue. A police report was filed. If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Public Safety at 212-305-8100. Harm Reduction Strategies: Be aware of your surroundings, especially when walking alone. Travel in well-lit and high-traffic areas. If you are the victim of a crime, do not engage further with the assailant as that may put you in further danger. 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 Compliance Unit by emailing ps-compliance@columbia.edu.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Source present: the Clery Crime Alert names the Department of Public Safety and the NYPD.

    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", "Department of Public Safety", and "NYPD" identify issuing and responding authorities.
    2. present: "Clery Crime Alert," "The Department of Public Safety," and "NYPD" identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    3. present: The Department of Public Safety and the NYPD are named, and Columbia University appears in the disclaimer.
    4. present: Clery Crime Alert plus the Department of Public Safety, informed by the NYPD, identify the authorities.
    5. present: "Clery Crime Alert", "The Department of Public Safety", and NYPD identify the authorities.
    6. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    7. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the authorities.
    8. present: "Clery Crime Alert," the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    9. present: Clery Crime Alert, the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    10. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify issuing and responding authorities.
    11. present: "Clery Crime Alert" plus Public Safety, informed by the NYPD, identify the issuing and responding agencies.
    12. present: Clery Crime Alert, the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify issuing and responding authorities.
    13. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify issuing and responding authorities.
    14. present: Opens with Clery Crime Alert and names the Department of Public Safety, informed by the NYPD.
    15. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and reporting authorities.
    16. present: "Clery Crime Alert", Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding agencies.
    17. present: Clery Crime Alert, the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the authorities.
    18. present: "Clery Crime Alert" plus the Department of Public Safety and NYPD identify the authorities.
    19. present: "Clery Crime Alert," the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    20. present: "Clery Crime Alert," the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    21. present: "Clery Crime Alert," the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and responding authorities.
    22. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and the NYPD identify the issuing and reporting authorities.
    23. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and the Department of Public Safety, citing NYPD, identify the authorities.
    24. present: "Clery Crime Alert" plus Public Safety and NYPD name the issuing and responding authorities.
    25. present: "Clery Crime Alert", the Department of Public Safety, and NYPD identify the issuing and informing authorities.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Hazard present because the text names a fondling incident, a specific sexual assault.

    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: The title and body name a "fondling" incident, a specific sexual assault crime.
    2. present: The heading and body name a "fondling incident" as the specific crime.
    3. present: The alert names a fondling incident in which the suspect grabbed the victim's buttocks and fled.
    4. present: The heading and body name a fondling incident, a specific sexual crime.
    5. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    6. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    7. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the crime.
    8. present: The heading names fondling, and the body describes the suspect grabbing the victim's buttocks.
    9. present: The alert names a fondling incident, a specific sexual offense.
    10. present: The heading and body name a "fondling incident", a specific sexual assault crime.
    11. present: The alert names "Fondling" as the specific crime.
    12. present: The alert names a fondling incident, a specific sexual assault crime.
    13. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident, a specific sexual assault crime.
    14. present: The heading and body name fondling as the specific offense.
    15. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    16. present: The title and body name a "fondling" incident, a specific sexual offense.
    17. present: The alert names a fondling incident as the specific crime.
    18. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    19. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    20. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident, a specific sexual assault crime.
    21. present: The heading and body name a "fondling incident" as the specific crime.
    22. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    23. present: The heading names "Fondling" as the specific crime.
    24. present: The title and body name a "fondling" incident as the specific crime.
    25. present: The heading and body name a "fondling" incident, a specific sexual crime.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Location present: in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight west toward Fort Washington Avenue.

    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: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, then west toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    2. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    3. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight west toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    4. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    5. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    6. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight west toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    7. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    8. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    9. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    10. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    11. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, then west toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    12. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    13. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, then west toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    14. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    15. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    16. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    17. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    18. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    19. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    20. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    21. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    22. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight toward Fort Washington Avenue.
    23. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    24. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street.
    25. present: It occurred in front of GG Gourmet Deli at 603 West 168 Street, with flight west toward Fort Washington Avenue.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Guidance present: harm-reduction tips tell readers to stay aware, use well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.

    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 tells readers to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit areas, and not engage the assailant.
    2. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    3. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    4. present: Harm Reduction tells readers to stay aware, use well-lit busy areas, and not engage further with an assailant.
    5. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit areas, and not engage the assailant.
    6. present: Readers are told to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    7. present: It tells people to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit areas, and not engage the assailant.
    8. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    9. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit routes, and not engage the assailant.
    10. present: Guidance includes staying aware, using well-lit routes, and not engaging the assailant.
    11. present: It tells people to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit routes, and not engage further with an assailant.
    12. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    13. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit busy areas, and not engage the assailant.
    14. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    15. present: Readers are told to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit busy areas, and not engage the assailant.
    16. present: It instructs staying aware, using well-lit routes, and not engaging the assailant.
    17. present: It instructs staying aware, using well-lit routes, and not engaging further with an assailant.
    18. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit routes, and not engage the assailant.
    19. present: It tells people to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit areas, and not engage the assailant.
    20. present: Readers are told to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit busy areas, and not engage the assailant.
    21. present: It tells readers to stay aware, use well-lit busy areas, and not engage further with an assailant.
    22. present: Readers are told to be aware of surroundings, travel in well-lit high-traffic areas, and not engage the assailant.
    23. present: It tells people to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit routes, and not engage an assailant.
    24. present: It tells readers to stay aware, use well-lit busy routes, and not engage the assailant.
    25. present: It tells readers to be aware of surroundings, use well-lit busy areas, and not engage further with an assailant.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Time present via Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m., plus just informed.

    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: It occurred Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m., and Public Safety was "just informed".
    2. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m., and says Public Safety was "just informed."
    3. present: It times the incident on Friday, December 12, 2025 at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    4. present: It states Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    5. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    6. present: It occurred Friday, December 12, 2025 at approximately 4:35 p.m., and Public Safety was "just informed".
    7. present: The incident is timed Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    8. present: The incident is timed Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    9. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    10. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    11. present: It times the incident on Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    12. present: The incident is timed on Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    13. present: The incident is timed Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    14. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    15. present: The incident is timed Friday, December 12, 2025 at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    16. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    17. present: The incident is dated Friday, December 12, 2025 at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    18. present: It states Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    19. present: It states Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    20. present: The fondling is timed Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    21. present: The incident is timed as Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    22. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    23. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    24. present: It gives Friday, December 12, 2025 at approximately 4:35 p.m.
    25. present: The incident is timed Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Impact present: the text warns that engaging the assailant may put you in further danger, a stated harm.

    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. present: Guidance warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger", a stated harm.
    2. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a stated harm.
    3. present: It warns that engaging the assailant may put you in further danger, stating a harm consequence.
    4. present: It warns that engaging the assailant may put you in further danger, a stated harm.
    5. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger", stating potential harm.
    6. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger", a stated harm consequence.
    7. present: It warns that further engagement "may put you in further danger."
    8. present: Guidance warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a harm statement.
    9. present: Guidance warns that engaging the assailant may put you in further danger, a harm statement.
    10. present: It warns that further engagement "may put you in further danger", a severity statement.
    11. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a stated harm.
    12. present: It warns that engaging the assailant may put you in further danger, a stated harm.
    13. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a stated harm.
    14. present: It warns that engaging the assailant may put you in further danger, a stated harm.
    15. present: The note that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger" states harm and severity.
    16. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger", a harm statement.
    17. present: It says engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," stating potential harm.
    18. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a stated harm.
    19. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a stated harm.
    20. present: The guidance warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a severity statement.
    21. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a stated harm.
    22. present: The text says not engaging the assailant may avoid putting you in "further danger", a severity statement.
    23. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger," a severity statement.
    24. present: It warns that further engagement "may put you in further danger", stating harm beyond the crime name.
    25. present: It warns that engaging the assailant "may put you in further danger", a stated 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-W38 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-W38)
    publicsafety.columbia.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Columbia University: Fondling reported at 603 West 168th Street." Incident of December 12, 2025. Added September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/columbia-university-603-west-168th-fondling-2025-12-12/

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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-yorkcolumbiaivyclerysexual-assaultUnder Investigation
Added September 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion