Campus Alert Archive
Columbia

Timely warning for burglaries on 122nd and Riverside

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Under Investigation

Columbia Public Safety issued Clery Crime Alert W12 for the incident described in the official PDF.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Columbia University
Private R1 · NY
All Columbia cases →
~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 verbatim2244 chars
Clery Crime Alert Burglaries Columbia University Public Safety was recently informed of multiple burglaries that occurred in the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026. The first incident occurred at 1:40 PM at 520 West 122nd Street. The second incident occurred at 5:22 PM at 548 Riverside Drive. Both incidents appeared to have been committed by the same suspect. They gained access to these locations by piggybacking into the lobby. Once inside, the individual removes packages without permission or authority. No other information is available currently. If you have any additional information about these incidents, please contact Investigator Finnegan at 212-854-3211 and reference report number 26-002087 or 26-002088. The suspect is shown in the photo below. Harm Reduction Strategies: No one is ever responsible for a crime committed against them. The responsibility lies entirely with the perpetrator. If something happens, we encourage you to report it. Reporting helps protect others and ensures you can access support and services. Report the incident to the Department of Public Safety at Morningside: 212-854-5555 Manhattanville: 212-853-3333 Medical Center: 212-305-7979 Sign up for free services such as FedEx Delivery Manager® and UPS My Choice® or use an Amazon Pick Up Location, such as a locker or local store. Many online retailers allow you to send directly to a local shipping center or retail store at check out. 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 (212-854-5555) once you are in a safe location. Stay informed about delivery statuses and estimated arrival times and try to retrieve your packages in a timely manner. Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety 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. For additional information, please visit our Clery Act website or email ps-compliance@columbia.edu
Verify this quote
Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (W12)publicsafety.columbia.edufind archived copies
PDF dual-download MATCH 2026-09-21. Text-layer ligatures/NBSP/Ō normalized to ASCII, matching W05/W06 capture practice. verbatim sha256 f5ad9a29fa23e5203532b68b6d08e98b9fc62365ac1fd994a80a509abc35d513. PDF bytes sha256 09bf81be4ccb7963451a294a0b9c07b50f0b2736fa29171e4f18c20efdb5f1de.
Distinct incident from 2026-04-03-columbia-university-claremont-122nd-burglaries: different date and 520 W 122 / 548 Riverside vs 150 Claremont / 520 W 122 in April.
Distinct incident from 2026-05-27-columbia-university-195-claremont-burglaries: different date and 122nd/Riverside vs 195 Claremont.
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 Columbia University Public Safety was recently informed of multiple burglaries that occurred in the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026. The first incident occurred at 1:40 PM at 520 West 122nd Street. The second incident occurred at 5:22 PM at 548 Riverside Drive. Both incidents appeared to have been committed by the same suspect. They gained access to these locations by piggybacking into the lobby. Once inside, the individual removes packages without permission or authority. No other information is available currently. If you have any additional information about these incidents, please contact Investigator Finnegan at 212-854-3211 and reference report number 26-002087 or 26-002088. The suspect is shown in the photo below. Harm Reduction Strategies: No one is ever responsible for a crime committed against them. The responsibility lies entirely with the perpetrator. If something happens, we encourage you to report it. Reporting helps protect others and ensures you can access support and services. Report the incident to the Department of Public Safety at Morningside: 212-854-5555 Manhattanville: 212-853-3333 Medical Center: 212-305-7979 Sign up for free services such as FedEx Delivery Manager® and UPS My Choice® or use an Amazon Pick Up Location, such as a locker or local store. Many online retailers allow you to send directly to a local shipping center or retail store at check out. 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 (212-854-5555) once you are in a safe location. Stay informed about delivery statuses and estimated arrival times and try to retrieve your packages in a timely manner. Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety 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. For additional information, please visit our Clery Act website or email ps-compliance@columbia.edu

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Source present. Columbia University Public Safety is named.

    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: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as authorities.
    2. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as the authorities behind the Clery Crime Alert.
    3. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the warning and names Investigator Finnegan as a contact.
    4. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as the issuing and contact agencies.
    5. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Clery Crime Alert header identify who is issuing the warning.
    6. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the sender, with Investigator Finnegan as a Public Safety contact.
    7. present: "Clery Crime Alert" and Columbia University Public Safety, with Investigator Finnegan, identify the source.
    8. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as the issuing and reporting authority.
    9. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the Clery Crime Alert and names the Department of Public Safety.
    10. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as the issuing authority.
    11. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the alert and names Investigator Finnegan as a contact.
    12. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the informing office, with the Department of Public Safety as a contact.
    13. present: Columbia University Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety are named as the issuing and reporting authorities.
    14. present: Columbia University Public Safety and Investigator Finnegan are identified as the sending and contact authorities.
    15. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the source, and the Department of Public Safety is listed for reporting.
    16. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the alert, and the Department of Public Safety is named for reporting.
    17. present: The message identifies Columbia University Public Safety, and later the Department of Public Safety, as the authority.
    18. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the alert, and the Department of Public Safety is named for reporting.
    19. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the Clery Crime Alert and lists Public Safety contact numbers.
    20. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the Clery Crime Alert, and Investigator Finnegan is named as a contact.
    21. present: Columbia University Public Safety issues the "Clery Crime Alert" and lists Department of Public Safety contacts.
    22. present: Columbia University Public Safety and Investigator Finnegan identify the issuing and responding authority.
    23. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named as the source under the Clery Crime Alert label.
    24. present: Columbia University Public Safety is named, and readers are pointed to the Department of Public Safety and Investigator Finnegan.
    25. present: Columbia University Public Safety and named Investigator Finnegan identify who is issuing and investigating.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Hazard present. Burglary or package theft is named.

    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 alert specifies multiple burglaries in which packages were taken from lobbies.
    2. present: Multiple burglaries are named as the specific hazard, including package removal without permission.
    3. present: The text specifies multiple burglaries involving piggybacking and unauthorized package removal.
    4. present: It reports multiple burglaries in which a suspect piggybacked in and took packages.
    5. present: The alert names multiple burglaries and unauthorized package removal as the threat.
    6. present: The heading and body specify multiple burglaries, including package theft after piggybacking into lobbies.
    7. present: It names multiple burglaries in which packages were removed without permission.
    8. present: It names multiple burglaries in which a suspect removed packages from building lobbies.
    9. present: It specifies multiple burglaries in which a suspect took packages after piggybacking into lobbies.
    10. present: It names multiple burglaries and describes unauthorized package removal as the crime.
    11. present: The title and body specify multiple burglaries in which packages were taken.
    12. present: The alert names multiple burglaries in which packages were taken without permission.
    13. present: Multiple burglaries and unauthorized package removal are named as the specific crimes.
    14. present: The alert names multiple burglaries and package removal after piggybacking as the threat.
    15. present: The alert is titled Burglaries and describes a suspect removing packages without permission.
    16. present: It identifies the hazard as multiple burglaries in which a suspect removes packages without permission.
    17. present: It names multiple burglaries, including taking packages without permission, as the specific hazard.
    18. present: The text identifies multiple burglaries, including package removal without permission.
    19. present: The message names multiple burglaries, including package theft after piggybacking into lobbies.
    20. present: Multiple burglaries and unauthorized package removal are named as the specific crimes.
    21. present: It names multiple burglaries in which a suspect piggybacked in and removed packages.
    22. present: The alert names multiple burglaries in which a suspect piggybacked in and took packages.
    23. present: It specifies multiple burglaries in which a suspect took packages after piggybacking inside.
    24. present: The alert names multiple burglaries in which a suspect removed packages, a specific theft hazard.
    25. present: Multiple burglaries and unauthorized package removal name a specific crime threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Location present. Street addresses are named.

    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 locates the incidents at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    2. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    3. present: It gives two addresses: 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    4. present: The crimes are sited at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    5. present: It names 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive as the incident sites.
    6. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    7. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    8. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    9. present: It names 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive as the incident sites.
    10. present: The incidents are placed at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    11. present: Locations are given as 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    12. present: The first site is 520 West 122nd Street and the second is 548 Riverside Drive.
    13. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    14. present: The first site is 520 West 122nd Street and the second is 548 Riverside Drive.
    15. present: It places the first incident at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    16. present: The first site is 520 West 122nd Street and the second is 548 Riverside Drive.
    17. present: Incidents are placed at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    18. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    19. present: It locates the incidents at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    20. present: The first incident is at 520 West 122nd Street and the second at 548 Riverside Drive.
    21. present: The first site is 520 West 122nd Street and the second is 548 Riverside Drive.
    22. present: It gives 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive as the incident sites.
    23. present: The incidents are sited at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive.
    24. present: Incidents are sited at 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive, with campus phone lines for Morningside, Manhattanville, and the Medical Center.
    25. present: Addresses 520 West 122nd Street and 548 Riverside Drive are given for the two incidents.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Guidance present. Harm-reduction instructions tell recipients what to do.

    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 not to allow piggybacking and to call Public Safety if needed.
    2. present: Guidance tells people not to allow piggybacking into apartment buildings and to retrieve packages in a timely manner.
    3. present: It tells people not to allow piggybacking, to retrieve packages quickly, and to call Public Safety if needed.
    4. present: It tells people not to let others piggyback into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety if they feel unsafe.
    5. present: It tells readers not to let others piggyback into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety if needed.
    6. present: Harm reduction tells people not to allow piggybacking and to call Public Safety at 212-854-5555 if they feel unsafe.
    7. present: It tells people not to allow piggybacking and to call Public Safety once in a safe location.
    8. present: It instructs people not to allow piggybacking into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety if they feel unsafe.
    9. present: It tells readers not to let others piggyback into buildings and to call Public Safety if needed.
    10. present: It tells people not to allow piggybacking into apartment buildings and to retrieve packages promptly.
    11. present: Instructions include not allowing piggybacking and calling Public Safety if stopping someone feels unsafe.
    12. present: Readers are told not to let others piggyback into buildings and to call Public Safety if they feel unsafe.
    13. present: It instructs people not to allow piggybacking, to retrieve packages promptly, and to report incidents to Public Safety.
    14. present: It tells readers not to let others piggyback into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety if unsafe.
    15. present: It tells readers not to let others piggyback into the building and to call Public Safety if they do not feel safe.
    16. present: It tells people not to allow piggybacking into the building and to call Public Safety once in a safe location.
    17. present: It tells readers not to let others piggyback into buildings and to call Public Safety from a safe place if needed.
    18. present: Recipients are told not to allow piggybacking into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety if they feel unsafe.
    19. present: It instructs people not to allow piggybacking, to retrieve packages promptly, and to call Public Safety if unsafe.
    20. present: Harm reduction instructs people not to let others piggyback into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety if unsafe.
    21. present: It tells readers not to allow piggybacking, to recover packages quickly, and to call Public Safety if unsafe.
    22. present: It tells readers not to allow piggybacking and to call Public Safety at 212-854-5555 if stopping someone feels unsafe.
    23. present: Harm reduction instructs people not to allow piggybacking and to call Public Safety if they feel unsafe.
    24. present: It tells people not to let others piggyback into apartment buildings and to call Public Safety once they are in a safe location.
    25. present: It instructs not to allow piggybacking when entering and to call Public Safety if that feels unsafe.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads find Time present. Dates and clock times are in the text.

    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 gives Monday, June 8, 2026, plus clock times 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    2. present: The crimes are dated Monday, June 8, 2026, with times 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    3. present: Both burglaries occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    4. present: It timestamps the incidents on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    5. present: It gives Monday, June 8, 2026, plus 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM clock times.
    6. present: It times the burglaries to the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026, at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    7. present: It dates the events to Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    8. present: It dates the events to the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    9. present: It gives Monday, June 8, 2026, plus 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM as the incident times.
    10. present: It reports Monday, June 8, 2026, with clock times 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    11. present: It specifies the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026, with times 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    12. present: It reports Monday, June 8, 2026 in the afternoon, with times 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    13. present: Events are timed to the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    14. present: Times are given as 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM on Monday, June 8, 2026.
    15. present: It times the crimes to the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    16. present: It gives the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026, plus 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    17. present: It gives Monday, June 8, 2026, plus 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM clock times.
    18. present: It gives Monday, June 8, 2026, and times 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    19. present: It gives Monday, June 8, 2026, and clock times of 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    20. present: Events are placed on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    21. present: Events are timed to the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    22. present: It places the events on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    23. present: It reports Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
    24. present: The burglaries are timed to the afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM, and other information is unavailable currently.
    25. present: The afternoon of Monday, June 8, 2026 is given, plus 1:40 PM and 5:22 PM.
  • Impactabsent2/25

    Final assessment

    2 of 25 reads find Impact present, 23/25 absent. Majority absent. Naming the crime does not state harm or severity beyond the Clery disclaimer.

    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: No consequence or severity language appears, such as injury risk or a dangerous suspect.
    2. absent: The Clery footer restates a legal duty and does not describe harm, injury, or other consequences of these burglaries.
    3. absent: No wording describes what the burglaries could do to people or how serious the harm is.
    4. absent: The burglary account does not describe injury, danger, or other impacts on people or property.
    5. absent: No wording states how serious the burglaries are or what harm they could cause to people.
    6. absent: No consequence or severity is stated, only that packages were taken and no other information is available.
    7. absent: There is no statement of injury, danger, or other impact beyond the burglary itself.
    8. absent: No statement of injury, danger, or other consequences appears, only the crime type and legal Clery disclaimer.
    9. absent: No consequence or severity is stated, only that packages were taken without permission.
    10. absent: The Clery disclaimer cites a serious or continuous threat as a legal standard, not a stated consequence of these burglaries.
    11. absent: The text does not convey severity or harm to people, only that packages were removed.
    12. absent: Package removal is described, but the alert does not state injury risk, danger, or other severity for the audience.
    13. absent: Nothing states potential injury, danger, or other harm, and the Clery disclaimer is legal boilerplate rather than impact.
    14. absent: The text never describes potential consequences or severity such as injury or a dangerous suspect.
    15. absent: No consequence or severity is stated; when safe is about how to act, not what the burglaries could do.
    16. absent: Nothing describes what the burglaries could do to people or property beyond naming the completed crimes.
    17. absent: The Clery disclaimer cites a legal alerting duty, not what these burglaries could do to people or property.
    18. absent: The Clery disclaimer cites a legal alerting duty and does not describe injury, death, or other consequences of these burglaries.
    19. absent: No consequence or severity is stated beyond naming the burglaries and stolen packages.
    20. absent: The text does not describe injury, danger, or other consequences beyond naming the burglaries.
    21. absent: No wording states what the burglaries could do to people or how severe the harm is.
    22. absent: No consequence or severity language appears beyond naming the burglaries and stolen packages.
    23. present: The Clery disclaimer calls such crimes a serious or continuous threat to the community.
    24. present: The disclaimer frames the alert as covering crimes that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community.
    25. absent: No severity or harm language appears beyond naming burglary and stolen packages.

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 W12 warning.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official PDF lists 1:40 PM at 520 West 122nd Street and 5:22 PM at 548 Riverside Drive on June 8.
Outcome
Public Safety seeking tips. Official present-tense wording on package removal preserved.
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 (W12)
    publicsafety.columbia.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Columbia University: Timely warning for burglaries on 122nd and Riverside." Incident of June 8, 2026. Added September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/columbia-university-122nd-riverside-burglaries-2026-06-08/

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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