Campus Alert Archive
MIT

Burglary at Phi Delta Theta

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MAburglarytimely warninghigh confidence
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Under Investigation

MIT Police issued a timely warning on or about 2021-09-23. Full text is preserved from the official Crime Alerts & Timely Warnings 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 verbatim1701 chars
On September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM, the MIT Police responded to Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston on a report of a burglary. The reporting party stated that sometime between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM on Thursday September 23, 2021, someone entered his room and removed a gray Mac Book Pro Laptop computer. There is no suspect description available at this time. While victims of crimes are never to blame for criminal activity, there are some precautions that can be taken. 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: · 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. · Always lock your office and residential doors and windows. Assure that the locks are in good working order. · Lock your office or residential door if you are leaving (even if only for a minute or two). · When entering or exiting an office, make sure the door closes tightly behind you. · Report person(s) acting in a suspicious, alarming or unsafe manner. Report all tailgaters. 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. The MIT Police are investigating this crime and request the assistance from the MIT community. If you wish to leave an anonymous tip please call 617-258-TIPS (8-8477). Sergeant David J. O'Connor Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit MIT Police 301 Vassar Street Cambridge, Ma. 02139 617-253-1212
Verify this quote
MIT Police Crime Alerts & Timely Warnings (police.mit.edu)police.mit.edufind archived copies
Full text from official MIT Police timely warning page
2026-09-21 second deep audit P2 chrome R1: live police.mit.edu timely-warning page product ends at the issuer/Clery close. Drupal CSS, Google Analytics, page-title line, and Emergency 24/7 sidebar are page furniture. Paired demote+correct. Cap-exempt.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 5.5 (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.

On September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM, the MIT Police responded to Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston on a report of a burglary. The reporting party stated that sometime between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM on Thursday September 23, 2021, someone entered his room and removed a gray Mac Book Pro Laptop computer. There is no suspect description available at this time. While victims of crimes are never to blame for criminal activity, there are some precautions that can be taken. 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: · 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. · Always lock your office and residential doors and windows. Assure that the locks are in good working order. · Lock your office or residential door if you are leaving (even if only for a minute or two). · When entering or exiting an office, make sure the door closes tightly behind you. · Report person(s) acting in a suspicious, alarming or unsafe manner. Report all tailgaters. 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. The MIT Police are investigating this crime and request the assistance from the MIT community. If you wish to leave an anonymous tip please call 617-258-TIPS (8-8477). Sergeant David J. O'Connor Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit MIT Police 301 Vassar Street Cambridge, Ma. 02139 617-253-1212

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: the MIT Police are named as responder and sender, and the notice is signed by a sergeant of the MIT Police Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit.

    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: It is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police Crime Prevention unit.
    2. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of MIT Police.
    3. present: It names "the MIT Police" and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit.
    4. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    5. present: It names 'the MIT Police' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the Crime Prevention unit.
    6. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    7. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    8. present: It names the MIT Police and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the Community Policing Unit.
    9. present: It is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the 'Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, MIT Police', identifying the sender.
    10. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of MIT Police.
    11. present: It states 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by a sergeant of the 'Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, MIT Police'.
    12. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by the Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, MIT Police.
    13. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    14. present: It is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit.
    15. present: It says "the MIT Police responded" and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of MIT Police.
    16. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of MIT Police.
    17. present: It states 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant O'Connor of the MIT Police Crime Prevention unit.
    18. present: Signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police Crime Prevention unit, it identifies its source.
    19. present: It says the MIT Police responded and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    20. present: It states 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by the Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit.
    21. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    22. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by a sergeant of the MIT Police Crime Prevention unit.
    23. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is signed by a sergeant of the MIT Police.
    24. present: The notice is signed by 'Sergeant David J. O'Connor' of the MIT Police Crime Prevention Unit, identifying the source.
    25. present: It is signed by a sergeant of the 'Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, MIT Police', naming the sender.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it names "a report of a burglary" in which someone entered a room and removed a laptop.

    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 a "burglary" in which someone entered a room and removed a laptop.
    2. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a MacBook Pro laptop.
    3. present: It reports "a burglary" in which someone entered a room and removed a MacBook Pro laptop, a specific crime.
    4. present: It names 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a laptop.
    5. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which a MacBook Pro laptop was removed from a room.
    6. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and took a MacBook Pro laptop.
    7. present: It reports 'a report of a burglary' in which someone removed a gray MacBook Pro laptop from a room.
    8. present: It names a burglary in which a gray MacBook Pro was removed from a room.
    9. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a laptop, a specific crime.
    10. present: It names 'a report of a burglary' in which a MacBook Pro laptop was removed from a room.
    11. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a laptop computer.
    12. present: It names 'a report of a burglary' in which a laptop was removed from a room.
    13. present: It names 'a burglary' in which a gray MacBook Pro laptop was removed from a room.
    14. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and took a MacBook Pro laptop.
    15. present: It names "a report of a burglary" in which a gray MacBook Pro laptop was removed from a room.
    16. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone removed a gray MacBook Pro laptop from a room.
    17. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which a laptop was removed from a room, a specific crime.
    18. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and took a Mac Book Pro laptop.
    19. present: It names a burglary in which a gray MacBook Pro laptop was removed from a room.
    20. present: It names 'a report of a burglary' in which a laptop was removed from a room.
    21. present: It names 'a report of a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a MacBook Pro laptop.
    22. present: It names 'a report of a burglary' in which a laptop was removed from a room.
    23. present: It names 'a report of a burglary' in which a MacBook Pro laptop was removed.
    24. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a gray Mac Book Pro laptop.
    25. present: It reports 'a burglary' in which someone entered a room and removed a gray MacBook Pro laptop.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it names Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house at "97 Bay State Rd. in Boston".

    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 names "Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    2. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    3. present: The burglary occurred at "Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    4. present: It locates the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    5. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    6. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    7. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    8. present: The burglary occurred at Phi Delta Theta, 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston.
    9. present: It places the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta' at '97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    10. present: It locates the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    11. present: The location is 'Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    12. present: It places the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    13. present: The fraternity house is at '97 Bay State Rd. in Boston', a specific address.
    14. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    15. present: It gives the fraternity house Phi Delta Theta at "97 Bay State Rd. in Boston" as the location.
    16. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    17. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    18. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    19. present: The burglary was at Phi Delta Theta, 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston.
    20. present: It gives 'Phi Delta Theta ... 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston' as the location.
    21. present: It places the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    22. present: It places the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta' at '97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    23. present: It places it at 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    24. present: It names 'Phi Delta Theta, an MIT fraternity house located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
    25. present: It places the burglary at 'Phi Delta Theta ... located at 97 Bay State Rd. in Boston'.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: the tips tell readers to lock office and residential doors and windows, report suspicious persons, and notify the MIT Police.

    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 "Always lock your office and residential doors and windows" and report suspicious persons.
    2. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' among other precautions.
    3. present: It advises readers to "Always lock your office and residential doors and windows", a protective action.
    4. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' among other precautions.
    5. present: It urges readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows'.
    6. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious persons.
    7. present: It urges readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious persons.
    8. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective step.
    9. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective action.
    10. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective step.
    11. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report suspicious persons.
    12. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective action.
    13. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious persons.
    14. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report suspicious persons.
    15. present: It tells readers to lock office and residential doors and to report suspicious persons and tailgaters.
    16. present: It urges readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report tailgaters.
    17. present: It urges readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective action.
    18. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective step.
    19. present: It advises readers to lock office and residential doors and windows and to report tailgaters.
    20. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective action.
    21. present: It advises recipients to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report tailgaters.
    22. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective step.
    23. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' among other tips.
    24. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report tailgaters, which are protective actions.
    25. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report suspicious persons.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it gives "September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM" and a window between 12:00 AM and 9:00 AM for the 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: It dates the response "September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM" with the theft window overnight.
    2. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window of midnight to 9:00 AM.
    3. present: It gives "September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM" and the window "between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM".
    4. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window 'between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM'.
    5. present: It says police responded on 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM', giving both a date and clock time.
    6. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window of 12:00 AM to 9:00 AM.
    7. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM.
    8. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and an overnight window for the theft.
    9. present: It says police responded 'On September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM', a specific date and time.
    10. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window between 12:00 AM and 9:00 AM.
    11. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window 'between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM' for the burglary.
    12. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and the overnight window of the theft.
    13. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window 'between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM'.
    14. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window of 12:00 AM to 9:00 AM.
    15. present: It gives "September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM" for the response plus an overnight window for the theft.
    16. present: It states 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a theft window between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM.
    17. present: It dates the police response 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM', giving a date and clock time.
    18. present: It says police responded 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' after a theft between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM.
    19. present: It gives September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM and an entry window between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM.
    20. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and the overnight window of the theft.
    21. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM for the theft.
    22. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and a window 'between 12:00 AM and 9:00AM'.
    23. present: It dates the police response to 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM', giving both date and clock time.
    24. present: It says police responded 'On September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' and gives the theft window.
    25. present: It gives 'September 23, 2021, at 11:43 AM' plus an overnight window for the theft.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, unanimously: the notice describes a stolen laptop only and conveys no injury, danger, or severity.

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

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: Only a stolen laptop is described, and no danger or consequence to people is stated.
    2. absent: The notice describes a stolen laptop only and conveys no injury or severity.
    3. absent: It describes a stolen laptop but states no consequence or severity beyond the property taken.
    4. absent: It reports a stolen Mac Book Pro and states no danger or consequence to people.
    5. absent: The theft of a laptop is described without any stated danger or consequence to people.
    6. absent: It reports a stolen laptop only and states no harm or severity.
    7. absent: It describes only a stolen laptop and states no consequence or danger to people from the burglary.
    8. absent: It describes only a stolen laptop and states no harm or severity for people.
    9. absent: It notes only a stolen laptop and conveys no consequence or severity of threat to people.
    10. absent: It reports a stolen laptop but conveys no consequence or severity beyond the theft itself.
    11. absent: It reports a stolen laptop and no suspect description, but states no injury, danger, or severity.
    12. absent: It reports a stolen laptop and conveys no consequence or severity beyond property loss.
    13. absent: Only the theft of a laptop is described, with no harm or severity to people stated.
    14. absent: Only the theft of a laptop is described, with no stated injury, danger, or severity.
    15. absent: Only the loss of a MacBook Pro is described; no danger or severity to people is stated.
    16. absent: The laptop theft is described without any statement of danger, injury or severity for readers.
    17. absent: It describes a stolen MacBook but gives no statement of danger or severity.
    18. absent: Only the loss of a laptop is described, with no statement of danger or severity.
    19. absent: It reports only a stolen laptop and conveys no consequence or severity for people.
    20. absent: Only a stolen laptop is described, with no stated injury or severity to people.
    21. absent: It reports a stolen laptop only and does not convey any severity or potential harm beyond that property loss.
    22. absent: It reports only a stolen laptop and states no danger, injury, or severity to the community.
    23. absent: The theft of a laptop is described without any stated consequence or severity for people.
    24. absent: It describes the theft of a laptop but conveys no injury risk or severity to recipients.
    25. absent: It mentions only a stolen laptop and states no harm or severity to people or wider property.

Coded by Claude Opus 5.5

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

On or about 2021-09-23, MIT Police published a Clery timely warning on the Crime Alerts & Timely Warnings archive at https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/timely-warning-burglary-16.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official MIT Police timely warning with complete text
Captured for Ivy Plus MIT five-year deep pass
Outcome
MIT Police investigation status as stated in the timely warning.
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
    Timely Warning Burglary
    police.mit.edu
    archived copy
  2. Official
    MIT Police timely warnings index
    police.mit.edu
    archived copy
  3. Statement
    MIT
    mit.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Burglary at Phi Delta Theta." Incident of September 23, 2021. Added July 2026; last updated September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/mit-burglary-phi-delta-theta-an-mit-fraternity-house-2021-09-23/

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

Tags
burglarytimely-warningmitcleryUnder Investigation
Added July 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion