Campus Alert Archive
MIT

Breaking and Entering on East Campus

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MIT Police issued a crime alert / timely warning on or about 2017-11-15. Full text is preserved from the official MIT Police Crime Alerts archive.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Private R1 · MA
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~12,000 studentsMIT Police Timely Warnings
Official alert policy
Read when and how MIT says it will use MIT Alert: 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 verbatim2218 chars
An unknown male was reported entering residents dorm rooms of East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62, between Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM. Additional reports of larceny occurred on today, Wednesday, Nov. 15, between 2:30 AM and 10:30 AM. A witness reports seeing a suspicious person with newspapers or paper towels in his hands. The witness describes the suspect as male, white, 60 to 70 years old, white hair, wearing neutral color clothes and white New Balance sneakers. The reporting parties state their doors were closed but not locked, or items were left in an open area, such as a kitchen. A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen. Suggestions In order to protect yourself and your belongings from theft and/or facilitate the recovery of your stolen property, MIT Police encourage you to follow these tips: - ALWAYS lock your doors and windows. - Please do not prop doors open. - Report all tailgaters, report suspicious people. - Document serial numbers of all electronics and take pictures of all valuables. Keep this in a safe place to provide to the police in the event you are burglarized. - Be watchful: See Something = Say Something. - Immediately notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212 or 100 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur. The MIT Police want to remind the MIT community that we are located in an urban setting and share many of the crime and safety issues that exist in any city. This continues to be an active and ongoing investigation. If you have any information please contact us at 617-253-1212. The MIT Police are investigating this incident and request the assistance from the MIT community. If you wish to leave an anonymous tip please call 617-258-TIPS (8-8477). If you have any information about this incident, please contact us at 617-253-1212. With the Thanksgiving break next week please be sure to lock your rooms. The MIT Police are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - even on holidays! Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer crimbite@mit.edu MIT Police 617-253-1212 Bldg. W89 Office 617-253-9751 301 Vassar St. Cambridge, MA 02139
Verify this quote
MIT Police Crime Alerts & Timely Warningspolice.mit.edufind archived copies
Transcribed from official police.mit.edu crime-alert page structured fields (Incident, Suspect, Summary, Suggestions, Issued by).
Page recovered live from MIT Police Crime Alerts archive.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 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.

An unknown male was reported entering residents dorm rooms of East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62, between Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM. Additional reports of larceny occurred on today, Wednesday, Nov. 15, between 2:30 AM and 10:30 AM. A witness reports seeing a suspicious person with newspapers or paper towels in his hands. The witness describes the suspect as male, white, 60 to 70 years old, white hair, wearing neutral color clothes and white New Balance sneakers. The reporting parties state their doors were closed but not locked, or items were left in an open area, such as a kitchen. A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen. Suggestions In order to protect yourself and your belongings from theft and/or facilitate the recovery of your stolen property, MIT Police encourage you to follow these tips: - ALWAYS lock your doors and windows. - Please do not prop doors open. - Report all tailgaters, report suspicious people. - Document serial numbers of all electronics and take pictures of all valuables. Keep this in a safe place to provide to the police in the event you are burglarized. - Be watchful: See Something = Say Something. - Immediately notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212 or 100 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur. The MIT Police want to remind the MIT community that we are located in an urban setting and share many of the crime and safety issues that exist in any city. This continues to be an active and ongoing investigation. If you have any information please contact us at 617-253-1212. The MIT Police are investigating this incident and request the assistance from the MIT community. If you wish to leave an anonymous tip please call 617-258-TIPS (8-8477). If you have any information about this incident, please contact us at 617-253-1212. With the Thanksgiving break next week please be sure to lock your rooms. The MIT Police are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - even on holidays! Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer crimbite@mit.edu MIT Police 617-253-1212 Bldg. W89 Office 617-253-9751 301 Vassar St. Cambridge, MA 02139

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The notice ends "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer" with an MIT Police address and phone number, an unambiguous identified sender.

    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: The notice is issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police, with department contact details.
    2. present: The notice closes "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", identifying the sending authority.
    3. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the MIT Police, with department address and phone.
    4. present: The notice is issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police, with department contact details.
    5. present: It is issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police, with department address and phone.
    6. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the "MIT Police", clearly identifying the sending authority.
    7. present: It closes with "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", naming the sending authority.
    8. present: It closes "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", naming the sending authority.
    9. present: Signed "MIT Police" by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" with a departmental address and phone.
    10. present: MIT Police are named throughout and Captain Cheryl Vossmer signs the notice at the bottom.
    11. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the "MIT Police", plus repeated MIT Police attribution in the body.
    12. present: Signed by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police with a department address and phone.
    13. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the "MIT Police", which identifies the issuing authority.
    14. present: The notice is issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police, with contact details.
    15. present: The closing signature "MIT Police" with Captain Cheryl Vossmer identifies the sender.
    16. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the MIT Police, with department address and phone.
    17. present: The notice is signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the "MIT Police", clearly identifying the sender.
    18. present: It closes "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", identifying the sending department.
    19. present: Signed "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", clearly identifying the sender.
    20. present: Signed "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", naming the issuing department and officer.
    21. present: Signed "Issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer, MIT Police", an explicit sender and agency.
    22. present: It is issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police, with department contact details.
    23. present: It is issued by Captain Cheryl Vossmer of the MIT Police, with department address and phone.
    24. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the "MIT Police", with department address and phone.
    25. present: Signed by "Captain Cheryl Vossmer" of the "MIT Police", clearly identifying the issuing department.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The crimes are named: "An unknown male was reported entering residents dorm rooms" with "additional reports of larceny" the same week.

    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 reports "An unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    2. present: It reports "an unknown male" entering dorm rooms plus "additional reports of larceny", specific crimes.
    3. present: It reports an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    4. present: It describes an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    5. present: It names "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    6. present: It names an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    7. present: It reports "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    8. present: It describes an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" and reports of "larceny", specific crimes.
    9. present: It describes "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    10. present: An unknown male entering dorm rooms plus additional larceny reports name the threat specifically.
    11. present: It names an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny", specific crimes.
    12. present: It reports an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    13. present: It reports an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny", specific crimes.
    14. present: It describes "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus reported larceny.
    15. present: It reports an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    16. present: It describes "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    17. present: It describes "An unknown male" entering dorm rooms plus "Additional reports of larceny", specific crimes.
    18. present: It describes "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    19. present: It reports "an unknown male" entering dorm rooms plus "additional reports of larceny".
    20. present: It reports "an unknown male ... entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny".
    21. present: It describes "an unknown male was reported entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny."
    22. present: The threat is an unknown male entering dorm rooms plus "additional reports of larceny".
    23. present: It describes an unknown male entering dorm rooms plus "additional reports of larceny", a specific crime.
    24. present: It names an unknown male entering dorm rooms plus "additional reports of larceny", specific crimes.
    25. present: It describes an unknown male "entering residents dorm rooms" plus "additional reports of larceny", specific crimes.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The place is pinned down as "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".

    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: Place is specific: "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    2. present: It names East Campus residence hall "located at 62 Ames St./Building 62."
    3. present: It names "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    4. present: The place is East Campus residence hall "located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    5. present: It pinpoints "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    6. present: It pins the activity to "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    7. present: The place is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    8. present: It names "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    9. present: The place is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    10. present: It gives East Campus residence hall at 62 Ames St., Building 62.
    11. present: The place is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    12. present: The site is East Campus residence hall "located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    13. present: The location is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    14. present: It names East Campus residence hall "located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    15. present: The place is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    16. present: It names "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    17. present: The site is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    18. present: It names "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    19. present: It names "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    20. present: It pinpoints "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    21. present: The place is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62."
    22. present: Place is given as "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    23. present: The entries occurred at "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    24. present: It locates the events at "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
    25. present: The place is "East Campus, a residence hall, located at 62 Ames St./Building 62".
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", "do not prop doors open", and "Immediately notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212".

    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: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and to notify police immediately.
    2. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", not prop doors, and report suspicious people.
    3. present: Readers are instructed to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not prop doors open.
    4. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", not prop doors, and call 617-253-1212.
    5. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", not prop doors, and call 617-253-1212.
    6. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    7. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", not prop doors, and call MIT Police.
    8. present: It instructs readers to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    9. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    10. present: Readers are told to always lock doors and windows, not prop doors, and to call MIT Police immediately.
    11. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    12. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and report suspicious people.
    13. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and to report suspicious people immediately.
    14. present: Readers are instructed to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not prop doors open.
    15. present: It instructs readers to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not prop doors open.
    16. present: Tips direct readers to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and report suspicious people.
    17. present: It directs readers to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and to notify police immediately.
    18. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and report suspicious people.
    19. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    20. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    21. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    22. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and to report suspicious people.
    23. present: Recipients are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows" and not to prop doors open.
    24. present: It instructs readers to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", not prop doors, and call 617-253-1212.
    25. present: Readers are told to "ALWAYS lock your doors and windows", not prop doors, and call police immediately.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. Two dated windows are given: November 13 "at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and "today, Wednesday, Nov. 15, between 2:30 AM and 10:30 AM".

    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: Dates and clock windows are given, including "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    2. present: Dates and clock windows are given, Monday November 13 from 11:00 AM to 11:45AM and today's 2:30 to 10:30 AM.
    3. present: It dates the entries to "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today's larcenies.
    4. present: Dates and times are precise: November 13 from 11:00 AM to 11:45AM and Nov. 15 from 2:30 AM.
    5. present: It dates entries to "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today, Nov. 15.
    6. present: Windows are exact: Monday, November 13 from 11:00 AM to 11:45AM and Nov. 15 from 2:30 to 10:30 AM.
    7. present: It supplies dates and clock ranges: "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today's hours.
    8. present: Dates and times are given, "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today's larcenies.
    9. present: Dates and windows are precise: "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today's larcenies.
    10. present: It cites Monday, November 13 from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM and today between 2:30 and 10:30 AM.
    11. present: It gives "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and a same-day window of 2:30 to 10:30 AM.
    12. present: It gives dates and clock ranges, "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    13. present: Precise windows are given: November 13 from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM and November 15 from 2:30 to 10:30 AM.
    14. present: Dates and windows are given, including "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    15. present: Dates and clock ranges appear, such as "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    16. present: It gives Monday, November 13 from 11:00 AM to 11:45AM and today between 2:30 AM and 10:30 AM.
    17. present: Precise dates and windows are given, including "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    18. present: Dates and times are given, "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    19. present: Times are precise: "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today between 2:30 and 10:30 AM.
    20. present: Dates and times are precise: "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today's window.
    21. present: Dated windows appear, such as "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM."
    22. present: Specific windows appear, including November 13 "11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and Nov. 15 early hours.
    23. present: Dates and windows are given, including "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
    24. present: It gives "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM" and today's 2:30 AM to 10:30 AM window.
    25. present: Dates and clock windows appear, including "Monday, November 13 at 11:00 AM to 11:45AM".
  • Impactpresent16/25

    Final assessment

    Present on a 16 of 25 split. The majority points to the stated loss, "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen"; nine reads countered that this is past property loss with no severity or danger asserted.

    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: The loss is spelled out: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen."
    2. absent: Items stolen are listed as fact, but no statement of danger or severity to readers is offered.
    3. absent: Loss of a backpack and laptops is reported as history, with no statement of danger to people.
    4. present: It states the consequence, "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    5. absent: Listing stolen items describes the crime itself; no severity or danger to people is asserted.
    6. present: It reports real loss: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    7. present: It states the losses: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen."
    8. present: It states the loss, "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen", showing concrete consequence.
    9. present: It states the loss: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen."
    10. present: It reports a backpack, credit cards and two laptops already stolen, showing the concrete loss at stake.
    11. absent: Stolen items are listed but no statement of danger, injury risk or severity accompanies them.
    12. present: Concrete loss is stated: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    13. present: It states "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen", conveying concrete loss.
    14. absent: Beyond listing items taken, it offers no statement of danger or seriousness to people.
    15. present: Listing that "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen" shows the loss at stake.
    16. present: It states real losses: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    17. absent: Only property loss is listed; no statement of danger or severity to people appears.
    18. present: It states what was lost: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    19. present: It states the loss suffered: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    20. absent: Only past property loss is listed; no statement of danger or what the intruder might do.
    21. absent: Stolen items are listed but no statement of danger or severity to people is offered.
    22. present: Loss is stated: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    23. absent: Stolen property is listed but no statement of danger or severity to people is offered.
    24. present: It reports concrete loss: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen".
    25. present: It reports actual loss: "A backpack, credit cards, two laptops have been reported stolen."

Coded by Claude Opus 5

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

MIT Police publishes Clery timely warnings and crime alerts at police.mit.edu/crime-alert with full incident narrative, safety guidance, and issuer attribution. This entry is from residual archive recovery for Breaking and Entering on East Campus.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official MIT Police crime-alert page preserves complete timely-warning narrative text.
Outcome
MIT Police investigation status as stated in the official crime alert.
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
    Breaking and Entering on East Campus | MIT Police
    police.mit.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Breaking and Entering on East Campus." Incident of November 15, 2017. Added July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/mit-breaking-and-entering-east-campus-2017-11-15/

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

Tags
mitmassachusetts-institute-of-technologytimely-warningsuspicious-activitycrime-alertUnder Investigation
Added July 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion