Campus Alert Archive
Clemson

Residence-area burglary series; lock doors and report tips

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked
SCburglarytimely warninghigh confidence
Compare →

Clemson issued a sequence of Clery timely notices about burglaries from unlocked apartments at Calhoun Courts, culminating in a fifth burglary notice and a composite drawing of a person of interest.

Alerts
6
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Clemson University
Public R1 · SC
All Clemson cases →
~28,000 studentsCU Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how Clemson says it will use CU Alerts: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

6 messages in sequence · 6 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 verbatim1623 chars
Clemson University police received a report of a burglary in Calhoun Court Apartments. A laptop was stolen from an apartment in South Calhoun Court apartments between 11:50 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. CUPD is investigating. Please report any suspicious activity by dialing 911 or calling 864-656-2222. CUPD would like to provide the following safety tips: - Lock all doors and windows. Keep your doors locked even when leaving only for a few minutes. - Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside of a residence. A darkened home or room sends the message to burglars that you are not at home. - If you come home to find an unexplained open/broken window or door, do not enter, the perpetrator may still be inside. - Use a cell phone or neighbor’s phone to call police. - Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence. - Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles. - Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons. - Ensure valuables are not visible from the street, especially high-end electronics. - Mark and record serial numbers of electronics and other valuables - If you use websites such as Facebook or twitter, never add status updates, comments or pictures that suggest you are not at home. Issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security  Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, that mandates timely  notices to the campus community. The Clery Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
Verify this quote
CU Alerts official archivealerts.clemson.edufind archived copies
Complete text from alerts.clemson.edu
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim2345 chars
The Clemson University Police Department is investigating two burglaries that were reported at the Calhoun Courts Apartments on Monday, Sept. 17. A laptop was stolen from an apartment in South Calhoun Courts apartments between 11:50 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. on Monday. During this incident, one resident of the apartment was present, however, they did not see or interact with the suspect. A laptop, gaming console and other miscellaneous items also were stolen from an unoccupied apartment in North Calhoun Courts. It is important to note that both of these incidents occurred during daylight hours and the doors on both apartments were unlocked.  The Clemson University Police Department has taken the following actions in response to these incidents: increased uniformed patrols in the area and conducted area canvasses to identify any potential suspects. CUPD detectives are actively reviewing all available video footage from the surrounding area, coordinating with local law enforcement partners and interviewing all potential witnesses. CUPD is asking all community members to assist us in our efforts to deter crimes of opportunity by ensuring that residential doors are locked at all times and that any suspicious activity is immediately reported to police by dialing 911 or calling 864-656-2222. CUPD would like to remind the Clemson University community of the following safety tips: - Lock all doors and windows. Keep your doors locked even when leaving only for a few minutes and when at home. - Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside of a residence. A darkened home or room sends the message to burglars that you are not at home. - If you come home to find an unexplained open/broken window or door - Do not enter – the perpetrator may still be inside. - Use a cell phone or neighbor’s phone to call police. - Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence. - Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles. - Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons. - Ensure valuables are not visible from the street, especially high-end electronics. - Mark and record serial numbers of electronics and other valuables - If you use web sites such as Facebook or twitter, never add status updates, comments, or pictures that suggest you are not at home.
Verify this quote
CU Alerts official archivealerts.clemson.edufind archived copies
Complete text from alerts.clemson.edu
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim1593 chars
Clemson University police received a report of a burglary in Calhoun Court Apartments Thursday. Laptops were stolen from an unlocked apartment in South Calhoun Court apartments between 2:30 and 3:40 p.m. CUPD is investigating. Please report any suspicious activity by dialing 911 or calling 864-656-2222. CUPD would like to provide the following safety tips: - LOCK ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS. Keep your doors locked even when leaving only for a few minutes. - Turn on lights inside to show signs of activity in a residence. A darkened home or room sends the message to burglars that you are not at home. - If you come home to find an unexplained open or broken window or door, do not enter; the perpetrator may still be inside. - Use a cell phone or neighbor’s phone to call police. - Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence. - Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles. - Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons. - Ensure valuables are not visible from the street, especially high-end electronics. - Mark and record serial numbers of electronics and other valuables. - If you use websites such as Facebook or Twitter, never add status updates, comments or pictures that suggest you are not at home. Issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, that mandates timely notices to the campus community. The Clery Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
Verify this quote
CU Alerts official archivealerts.clemson.edufind archived copies
Complete text from alerts.clemson.edu
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim1639 chars
Clemson University police reported a laptop was stolen from an apartment in South Calhoun Court Apartments between 9:30 p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. Monday. The resident was home; the door was unlocked. This is the fourth burglary in that area since Sept. 17. CUPD is investigating. Please report any suspicious activity by dialing 911 or calling 864-656-2222. CUPD provided the following safety tips: - LOCK ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS. Keep your doors locked even when home or leaving only for a few minutes. - Turn on lights inside to show signs of activity in a residence. A darkened home or room sends the message to burglars that you are not at home. - If you come home to find an unexplained open or broken window or door, do not enter; the perpetrator may still be inside. - Use a cell phone or neighbor’s phone to call police. - Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence. - Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles. - Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons. - Ensure valuables are not visible from the street, especially high-end electronics. - Mark and record serial numbers of electronics and other valuables. - If you use websites such as Facebook or Twitter, never add status updates, comments or pictures that suggest you are not at home. Issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, that mandates timely notices to the campus community. The Clery Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
Verify this quote
CU Alerts official archivealerts.clemson.edufind archived copies
Complete text from alerts.clemson.edu
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim1914 chars
The Clemson University Police Department reported a burglary at an apartment at South Calhoun Courts Tuesday night. An XBox One Forza was stolen between 8:20 and 9:30 p.m. while the apartment was unoccupied. The resident stated that his door was unlocked. This is the fifth burglary from an unlocked apartment at Calhoun Courts since Sept. 17. Police are asking all community members to assist in efforts to deter crimes of opportunity by ensuring that residential doors are locked at all times and that any suspicious activity is immediately reported to police by dialing 911 or calling 864-656-2222. They also offer the following safety tips: - Lock all doors and windows. Keep your doors locked even when leaving only for a few minutes and when at home. - Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside of a residence. A darkened home or room sends the message to burglars that you are not at home. - If you come home to find an unexplained open/broken window or door - Do not enter – the perpetrator may still be inside. - Use a cell phone or neighbor’s phone to call police. - Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence. - Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles. - Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons. - Ensure valuables are not visible from the street, especially high-end electronics. - Mark and record serial numbers of electronics and other valuables - If you use web sites such as Facebook or twitter, never add status updates, comments, or pictures that suggest you are not at home. Issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, that mandates timely notices to the campus community. The Clery Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
Verify this quote
CU Alerts official archivealerts.clemson.edufind archived copies
Complete text from alerts.clemson.edu
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim777 chars
Clemson University police Thursday released a composite drawing of an individual who may be able to assist them in their investigation of the recent burglary at Calhoun Courts. The man was seen in the Calhoun Courts area during the time of the burglary and detectives would like to speak with him regarding information he may have that could help them solve this case. An XBox One Forza was stolen between 8:20 and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday while the apartment was unoccupied and unlocked. This was the fifth burglary from an unlocked apartment at Calhoun Courts since Sept. 17. He is described as African-American, 19-20 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 250 pounds with short dreadlocks. If you have information about his identity, please contact police at 864-656-2222.
Verify this quote
CU Alerts official archivealerts.clemson.edufind archived copies
Complete text from alerts.clemson.edu
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (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.

Clemson University police received a report of a burglary in Calhoun Court Apartments. A laptop was stolen from an apartment in South Calhoun Court apartments between 11:50 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. CUPD is investigating. Please report any suspicious activity by dialing 911 or calling 864-656-2222. CUPD would like to provide the following safety tips: - Lock all doors and windows. Keep your doors locked even when leaving only for a few minutes. - Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside of a residence. A darkened home or room sends the message to burglars that you are not at home. - If you come home to find an unexplained open/broken window or door, do not enter, the perpetrator may still be inside. - Use a cell phone or neighbor’s phone to call police. - Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence. - Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles. - Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons. - Ensure valuables are not visible from the street, especially high-end electronics. - Mark and record serial numbers of electronics and other valuables - If you use websites such as Facebook or twitter, never add status updates, comments or pictures that suggest you are not at home. Issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security  Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, that mandates timely  notices to the campus community. The Clery Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present: S in first-burst CU Alert (clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary).

    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: CU Alert is the source (b230000).
    2. present: Clemson officials are the sender (b230001).
    3. present: Official CU Alerts branding (b230002).
    4. present: University Relations or CUPD issued notice (b230003).
    5. present: Archive page is institutional CU Alerts (b230004).
    6. present: First-party campus safety channel (b230005).
    7. present: Sender is Clemson University alerting authority (b230006).
    8. present: CU SAFE ALERT label identifies source (b230007).
    9. present: Official archive hosts the message (b230008).
    10. present: Institutional safety bulletin provenance (b230009).
    11. present: CUPD or Facilities notice via CU Alerts (b230010).
    12. present: University-authored alert text (b230011).
    13. present: Campus emergency management channel (b230012).
    14. present: Clemson public alert page is the source (b230013).
    15. present: Official safety office transmission (b230014).
    16. present: CU Alerts post identifies the sender (b230015).
    17. present: University police or facilities as author (b230016).
    18. present: Institutional branding frames the message (b230017).
    19. present: Source is the university alert archive (b230018).
    20. present: Clemson CU Alerts is the originating channel (b230019).
    21. present: Official notice from campus authorities (b230020).
    22. present: Sender field satisfied by CU Alerts header (b230021).
    23. present: University-issued community message (b230022).
    24. present: Alert archive attributes the text to Clemson (b230023).
    25. present: Campus alerting system is the source (b230024).
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present: H in first-burst CU Alert (clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary).

    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: Hazard is named in the alert body (b230000).
    2. present: Incident type is explicit (b230001).
    3. present: Threat or condition is described (b230002).
    4. present: What happened is stated clearly (b230003).
    5. present: Hazard framing appears in the lead (b230004).
    6. present: Risk condition is identified (b230005).
    7. present: Event type is specified for recipients (b230006).
    8. present: Danger or disruption is labeled (b230007).
    9. present: Alert names the emergency condition (b230008).
    10. present: Problem type is not left vague (b230009).
    11. present: Hazard language is present (b230010).
    12. present: Incident category is recoverable (b230011).
    13. present: Safety hazard is articulated (b230012).
    14. present: The what is stated for campus (b230013).
    15. present: Condition requiring attention is named (b230014).
    16. present: Primary hazard keyword is present (b230015).
    17. present: Alert identifies the hazard type (b230016).
    18. present: Emergency subject is explicit (b230017).
    19. present: Hazard element is satisfied (b230018).
    20. present: Threat description is included (b230019).
    21. present: Operational hazard is declared (b230020).
    22. present: Campus risk is named (b230021).
    23. present: Hazard content is recoverable (b230022).
    24. present: Incident hazard is front-loaded (b230023).
    25. present: What recipients face is stated (b230024).
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present: L in first-burst CU Alert (clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary).

    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: Location is stated for campus (b230000).
    2. present: Place names appear in the text (b230001).
    3. present: Where is identified (b230002).
    4. present: Geographic or building reference present (b230003).
    5. present: Campus location cues are present (b230004).
    6. present: Area to avoid or act is named (b230005).
    7. present: Spatial reference is recoverable (b230006).
    8. present: Site of the incident is given (b230007).
    9. present: Location element is present (b230008).
    10. present: Place of interest is specified (b230009).
    11. present: Campus geography is referenced (b230010).
    12. present: Building or road is named (b230011).
    13. present: Where guidance applies is clear (b230012).
    14. present: Location detail supports action (b230013).
    15. present: Spatial scope is stated (b230014).
    16. present: Affected area is described (b230015).
    17. present: Place markers are in the message (b230016).
    18. present: Campus site is identifiable (b230017).
    19. present: Location wording is present (b230018).
    20. present: Where clause is recoverable (b230019).
    21. present: Geographic scope is included (b230020).
    22. present: Incident location is explicit (b230021).
    23. present: Place reference is non-empty (b230022).
    24. present: Location field is satisfied (b230023).
    25. present: Campus or regional place is named (b230024).
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present: G in first-burst CU Alert (clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary).

    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: Protective guidance is present (b230000).
    2. present: Recipients get action instructions (b230001).
    3. present: What to do is stated (b230002).
    4. present: Operational instructions are present (b230003).
    5. present: Avoid or seek-shelter style guidance (b230004).
    6. present: Actionable guidance is included (b230005).
    7. present: Community is told how to respond (b230006).
    8. present: Directive language appears (b230007).
    9. present: Protective steps are listed or implied (b230008).
    10. present: Guidance element is satisfied (b230009).
    11. present: Call or report instructions present (b230010).
    12. present: Behavioral instruction is recoverable (b230011).
    13. present: Safety steps are given (b230012).
    14. present: Do or do-not guidance is present (b230013).
    15. present: Action requested of recipients (b230014).
    16. present: Instructions support protective action (b230015).
    17. present: Guidance wording is explicit (b230016).
    18. present: Campus is directed how to act (b230017).
    19. present: Response guidance is in the text (b230018).
    20. present: Operational do-list is present (b230019).
    21. present: Protective action language found (b230020).
    22. present: Recipient instructions are clear (b230021).
    23. present: Guidance content is recoverable (b230022).
    24. present: Action element is present (b230023).
    25. present: What people should do is stated (b230024).
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present: T in first-burst CU Alert (clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary).

    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: Time cues are present (b230000).
    2. present: Temporal references appear (b230001).
    3. present: When is stated (b230002).
    4. present: Dates or hours are given (b230003).
    5. present: Schedule window is named (b230004).
    6. present: Clock or calendar cues present (b230005).
    7. present: Timing of the event is recoverable (b230006).
    8. present: Temporal element is satisfied (b230007).
    9. present: Day or time language is present (b230008).
    10. present: When to act is indicated (b230009).
    11. present: Timeframe is explicit (b230010).
    12. present: Duration or deadline is stated (b230011).
    13. present: Temporal markers are non-empty (b230012).
    14. present: Clock-time or date appears (b230013).
    15. present: When clause is recoverable (b230014).
    16. present: Schedule impact is timed (b230015).
    17. present: Time of incident is given (b230016).
    18. present: Temporal scope is included (b230017).
    19. present: Date language supports the alert (b230018).
    20. present: Hours window is stated (b230019).
    21. present: Temporal detail is present (b230020).
    22. present: When field is satisfied (b230021).
    23. present: Timing cues are recoverable (b230022).
    24. present: Time element content found (b230023).
    25. present: Alert includes when information (b230024).
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present: I in first-burst CU Alert (clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary).

    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: Impact is described (b230000).
    2. present: Consequences for campus are stated (b230001).
    3. present: Effect on people or operations present (b230002).
    4. present: Impact framing is recoverable (b230003).
    5. present: What is at stake is stated (b230004).
    6. present: Operational impact is named (b230005).
    7. present: Impact element is satisfied (b230006).
    8. present: Human or facility impact appears (b230007).
    9. present: Disruption effects are described (b230008).
    10. present: Why it matters is present (b230009).
    11. present: Impact language is non-empty (b230010).
    12. present: Outcome risk is framed (b230011).
    13. present: Campus impact is articulated (b230012).
    14. present: Effect of the hazard is stated (b230013).
    15. present: Impact content is recoverable (b230014).
    16. present: Consequences are made explicit (b230015).
    17. present: Operational consequence is present (b230016).
    18. present: Impact on community is stated (b230017).
    19. present: Stakes of the incident are named (b230018).
    20. present: Impact field is satisfied (b230019).
    21. present: Effects language is present (b230020).
    22. present: Resulting condition is described (b230021).
    23. present: Impact cues are recoverable (b230022).
    24. present: Alert states effects or stakes (b230023).
    25. present: Impact wording supports coding (b230024).

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

Official full text from alerts.clemson.edu.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official CU Alerts archive full-text recovery
Outcome
At least five burglaries from unlocked apartments Sept. 17–Dec. 11, 2018; investigation ongoing with community tips requested.
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
    CU Alerts official archive
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
  2. Official
    CU Alerts official archive
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
  3. Official
    CU Alerts official archive
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
  4. Official
    CU Alerts official archive
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
  5. Official
    CU Alerts official archive
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
  6. Official
    CU Alerts official archive
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
  7. Official
    CU Alerts index
    alerts.clemson.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Clemson University: Residence-area burglary series; lock doors and report tips." Incident of September 17, 2018. Added July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/clemson-university-calhoun-courts-burglary-series-2018-09-17/

Download case JSON

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

Tags
clemsoncu-alertstimely-warning
Added July 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion