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Motor vehicle theft at East Campus

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MIT Police issued a timely warning on or about 2021-09-13. Full text is preserved from the official Crime Alerts & Timely Warnings archive.

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Response
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Injured
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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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 verbatim2375 chars
This timely warning includes two motor vehicle thefts within a two hour period at 3 Ames Street in Cambridge, Ma. On Sunday September 12, 2021, the MIT Police responded to East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street on a report of a Motor Vehicle Theft. The reporting party stated that he parked his 2021 Bintelli Escape moped color blue/white, at the bicycle rack at 9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021 and when he returned at 11:00 PM, his moped was missing. On Monday September 13, 2021, the MIT Police responded to East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street on a report of a Motor Vehicle Theft. The reporting party stated that his 2020 Amigo Scooter color red was parked at the bicycle rack at 3 Ames Street at 11:30 PM on September 12, 2021, and when he returned at 2:00 AM on Monday September 13, 2021, his scooter was missing. This timely warning includes two motor vehicle thefts within a two hour period at 3 Ames Street in Cambridge, Ma. There is no suspect description available for both incidents 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). Issued by 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.

This timely warning includes two motor vehicle thefts within a two hour period at 3 Ames Street in Cambridge, Ma. On Sunday September 12, 2021, the MIT Police responded to East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street on a report of a Motor Vehicle Theft. The reporting party stated that he parked his 2021 Bintelli Escape moped color blue/white, at the bicycle rack at 9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021 and when he returned at 11:00 PM, his moped was missing. On Monday September 13, 2021, the MIT Police responded to East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street on a report of a Motor Vehicle Theft. The reporting party stated that his 2020 Amigo Scooter color red was parked at the bicycle rack at 3 Ames Street at 11:30 PM on September 12, 2021, and when he returned at 2:00 AM on Monday September 13, 2021, his scooter was missing. This timely warning includes two motor vehicle thefts within a two hour period at 3 Ames Street in Cambridge, Ma. There is no suspect description available for both incidents 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). Issued by 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 timely warning names the MIT Police as responder and is "Issued 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 "Issued by" Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police, identifying the sender.
    2. present: It states 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    3. present: It names "the MIT Police" as responding and is issued by Sergeant O'Connor of the MIT Police Community Policing Unit.
    4. present: It is 'Issued by' the MIT Police Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, naming the sending agency.
    5. present: It names 'the MIT Police' and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor, MIT Police.
    6. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    7. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor, MIT Police.
    8. present: It names the MIT Police and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor, identifying the source.
    9. present: The notice is 'Issued by' Sergeant O'Connor of the 'MIT Police' Community Policing Unit, identifying the sender.
    10. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of MIT Police.
    11. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by the MIT Police Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit.
    12. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by the Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, MIT Police.
    13. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police.
    14. present: It is 'Issued by' MIT Police, Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit, naming the sender.
    15. present: It says "the MIT Police responded" and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor, MIT Police Crime Prevention Unit.
    16. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is 'Issued by' an MIT Police sergeant, identifying the source.
    17. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant O'Connor, MIT Police, identifying the source.
    18. present: The notice is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor of the MIT Police, identifying the sender.
    19. present: It says the MIT Police responded to both reports and is issued by the MIT Police Crime Prevention unit.
    20. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant O'Connor of MIT Police.
    21. present: It says 'the MIT Police responded' and is issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor, MIT Police Community Policing Unit.
    22. present: It states 'the MIT Police responded' to each theft and is issued by the MIT Police Crime Prevention unit.
    23. present: It states 'the MIT Police responded' and is 'Issued by' a sergeant of MIT Police.
    24. present: It is 'Issued by Sergeant David J. O'Connor' of the MIT Police, naming the sending agency.
    25. present: It is 'Issued by' an MIT Police sergeant of the Crime Prevention/Community Policing Unit.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it names "two motor vehicle thefts", a moped and a scooter stolen from a bicycle rack.

    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 "two motor vehicle thefts" of a moped and a scooter, specific crimes.
    2. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bike rack.
    3. present: It reports "two motor vehicle thefts", a stolen moped and a stolen scooter, a specific crime threat.
    4. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter stolen from a bicycle rack.
    5. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from the bicycle rack.
    6. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a stolen moped and a stolen scooter.
    7. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    8. present: It names two motor vehicle thefts, a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    9. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter stolen, a specific crime.
    10. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a stolen moped and a stolen scooter.
    11. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    12. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bike rack.
    13. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter stolen from a bike rack.
    14. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a stolen moped and a stolen scooter.
    15. present: It names "two motor vehicle thefts", a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    16. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter stolen from a bicycle rack.
    17. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter, specific crimes.
    18. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    19. present: It names two motor vehicle thefts, a moped and a scooter, as the crimes.
    20. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter stolen from a bike rack.
    21. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    22. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    23. present: It names 'two motor vehicle thefts', a stolen moped and a stolen scooter.
    24. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter taken from a bicycle rack.
    25. present: It reports 'two motor vehicle thefts', a moped and a scooter, taken from a bicycle rack.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it gives East Campus, an MIT residence hall at "3 Ames Street" in Cambridge, and the bicycle rack there.

    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 "East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street".
    2. present: It names 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    3. present: Both thefts were at "East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street" in Cambridge.
    4. present: It places both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    5. present: It names 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    6. present: It locates both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    7. present: It locates both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    8. present: Both thefts occurred at the bicycle rack of East Campus, an MIT residence hall at 3 Ames Street in Cambridge.
    9. present: It locates both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    10. present: It locates both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    11. present: Both thefts occurred at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    12. present: It places both thefts at 'East Campus ... located at 3 Ames Street' in Cambridge.
    13. present: Both thefts occurred at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    14. present: Both thefts occurred at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    15. present: It gives the residence hall East Campus at "3 Ames Street in Cambridge, Ma." as the theft location.
    16. present: It names 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street' in Cambridge.
    17. present: It locates both at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    18. present: It locates both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    19. present: Both thefts occurred at East Campus, an MIT residence hall at 3 Ames Street in Cambridge.
    20. present: The thefts occurred at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    21. present: It places both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
    22. present: It places both thefts at 'East Campus' at '3 Ames Street in Cambridge'.
    23. present: It locates both thefts at East Campus, '3 Ames Street in Cambridge'.
    24. present: It names 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street' in Cambridge.
    25. present: It locates both thefts at 'East Campus, an MIT residence hall located at 3 Ames Street'.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: the tips instruct readers to lock doors and windows, report suspicious persons and tailgaters, 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: Its tips instruct readers to lock doors and windows and to report suspicious persons and tailgaters.
    2. present: It advises readers to lock doors and windows and to 'Report person(s) acting in a suspicious ... manner'.
    3. present: It urges readers to lock doors and windows and to "Report all tailgaters", which are protective actions.
    4. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report tailgaters.
    5. present: It urges readers to lock doors and windows and 'Report all tailgaters'.
    6. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report suspicious persons.
    7. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious persons.
    8. present: It advises locking office and residential doors and windows and reporting suspicious persons.
    9. present: It advises readers to lock doors and windows and report 'person(s) acting in a suspicious, alarming or unsafe manner', protective actions.
    10. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious persons.
    11. present: It advises 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and reporting suspicious persons and tailgaters.
    12. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious people.
    13. present: It lists tips such as 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and reporting suspicious persons.
    14. present: It recommends locking doors and windows and reporting 'person(s) acting in a suspicious, alarming or unsafe manner'.
    15. present: It urges locking doors and windows and reporting suspicious persons or tailgaters to MIT Police.
    16. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious persons.
    17. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows', a protective action.
    18. present: It tells readers to lock doors and windows and report people acting in a suspicious manner.
    19. present: It tells readers to lock office and residential doors and windows and to report suspicious persons and tailgaters.
    20. present: It tells readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report suspicious people.
    21. present: It tells recipients to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and to report suspicious persons.
    22. present: It advises readers to 'Always lock your office and residential doors and windows' and report tailgaters.
    23. present: It urges readers to lock doors and windows and 'Report all tailgaters'.
    24. present: It urges recipients to lock doors and windows and report suspicious persons and tailgaters, which are protective actions.
    25. present: It advises readers to lock doors and windows and to 'Report person(s) acting in a suspicious, alarming or unsafe manner'.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it dates both thefts, September 12 and 13, 2021, with clock times from 9:00 PM to 2:00 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: It gives dates and times such as "9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021" and "2:00 AM on Monday September 13".
    2. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' with times such as '9:00 PM' and '2:00 AM'.
    3. present: It gives times such as "9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021" and "2:00 AM on Monday September 13, 2021".
    4. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' at 9:00 PM and 'Monday September 13, 2021' at 2:00 AM.
    5. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' and 'Monday September 13, 2021' with times.
    6. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' and 'Monday September 13, 2021' with specific clock times.
    7. present: It dates the thefts to 'Sunday September 12, 2021' and 'Monday September 13, 2021' with specific times.
    8. present: It gives Sunday September 12 and Monday September 13, 2021 with clock times like 9:00 PM and 2:00 AM.
    9. present: It gives times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13, 2021'.
    10. present: It gives dates and times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13'.
    11. present: It gives specific dates and times, such as 'Sunday September 12, 2021' between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
    12. present: It gives dates and times such as 'Sunday September 12, 2021' between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
    13. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' and 'Monday September 13, 2021' with specific clock times.
    14. present: It gives times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13'.
    15. present: It gives dates and times: 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM September 12 and 11:30 PM to 2:00 AM September 13, 2021.
    16. present: It gives dates and times such as 'Sunday September 12, 2021' at 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
    17. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' and times such as '9:00 PM' and '2:00 AM'.
    18. present: It gives times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13'.
    19. present: It gives Sunday September 12, 2021 between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM and September 13 at 2:00 AM.
    20. present: It gives dates and times such as 'Sunday September 12, 2021' at 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
    21. present: It gives times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13, 2021'.
    22. present: It gives dates and times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13'.
    23. present: It gives 'Sunday September 12, 2021' and 'Monday September 13, 2021' with clock times.
    24. present: It gives dates and times such as '9:00 PM on Sunday September 12, 2021' and '2:00 AM on Monday September 13'.
    25. present: It gives dates and times such as 'Sunday September 12, 2021' at 9:00 PM and 2:00 AM on September 13.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, unanimously: it reports stolen vehicles with no suspect description and states no harm, danger, or severity to people.

    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: The thefts involve vehicles only, and no harm to people or severity is conveyed.
    2. absent: The thefts are described without any statement of injury, danger, or severity.
    3. absent: It describes missing vehicles but does not state any consequence or severity for the community.
    4. absent: The thefts of a moped and scooter are described without any stated danger or severity.
    5. absent: It reports vehicle thefts without describing any harm or severity for people.
    6. absent: The thefts of a moped and scooter are described without any stated injury or severity.
    7. absent: The thefts involve only property, and the notice states no harm or severity beyond the vehicles going missing.
    8. absent: Only vehicles were stolen, and no consequence or danger to people is stated.
    9. absent: It describes vehicle thefts without stating any consequence or severity of harm to recipients.
    10. absent: The notice describes stolen vehicles but states no danger, harm, or severity to people.
    11. absent: It reports vehicles missing but never states injury, danger, or any severity beyond the property loss.
    12. absent: It describes vehicle thefts with no stated harm, danger, or severity to people.
    13. absent: The moped and scooter thefts are described without any stated harm or severity to people.
    14. absent: The alert describes only stolen vehicles and states no harm to people or severity.
    15. absent: It reports the moped and scooter missing but conveys no danger, injury, or severity to recipients.
    16. absent: It describes only stolen vehicles and states no harm to people or severity of threat.
    17. absent: It reports vehicles missing but conveys no danger to people or any stated severity.
    18. absent: The thefts of a moped and scooter are described without any stated danger or severity.
    19. absent: The alert concerns stolen vehicles and does not convey any danger or severity to people.
    20. absent: The thefts involve property only, and no danger or consequence to people is stated.
    21. absent: It reports vehicles taken but conveys no severity or consequence beyond the thefts themselves.
    22. absent: It reports missing vehicles only and says nothing about danger or harm to people.
    23. absent: Beyond noting the vehicles went missing, it states no harm or severity.
    24. absent: It describes stolen vehicles only and does not convey any harm to people or severity.
    25. absent: It describes stolen vehicles only and conveys no consequence or severity for people.

Coded by Claude Opus 5.5

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

On or about 2021-09-13, MIT Police published a Clery timely warning on the Crime Alerts & Timely Warnings archive at https://police.mit.edu/crime-alert/timely-warning-motor-vehicle-theft.
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 Motor Vehicle Theft
    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: Motor vehicle theft at East Campus." Incident of September 13, 2021. Added July 2026; last updated September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/mit-motor-vehicle-theft-east-campus-an-mit-residence-hall-lo-2021-09-13/

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

Tags
motor-vehicle-thefttimely-warningmitcleryUnder Investigation
Added July 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion