Campus Alert Archive
MIT

Burglary prompts campus safety notice warning burglary — Saturday

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MIT Police issued a crime alert / timely warning on or about 2020-04-20. Full text is preserved from the official MIT Police Crime Alerts archive.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Private R1 · MA
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~12,000 studentsMIT Police Timely Warnings
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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 verbatim1974 chars
On April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM, the MIT Police responded to Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston on a report of a burglary. The reporting party stated that on Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM, someone entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras. One camera was taken from the first floor stairwell of 64 Bay State Rd. and 2 cameras were taken from the first floor area of 66 Bay State Rd. The suspect also removed clothing from the first floor entrance area of 66 Bay State Rd. There were no signs of forced entry. The following description is from video footage of the suspect: Male, Hispanic, light complexion, 5'8"-5'10", wearing a white hat, tan coat, orange work gloves, black pants, black sneakers and wearing a red and black backpack. 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: · See Something - Say Something: Immediately notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212 or 100 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur. · 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 suspicious people or activity. 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).
Verify this quote
MIT Police Crime Alerts & Timely Warningspolice.mit.edufind archived copies
Transcribed from official police.mit.edu crime-alert page structured fields (Incident, Suspect, Summary, Suggestions, Issued by).
Page recovered live from MIT Police Crime Alerts archive.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

On April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM, the MIT Police responded to Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston on a report of a burglary. The reporting party stated that on Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM, someone entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras. One camera was taken from the first floor stairwell of 64 Bay State Rd. and 2 cameras were taken from the first floor area of 66 Bay State Rd. The suspect also removed clothing from the first floor entrance area of 66 Bay State Rd. There were no signs of forced entry. The following description is from video footage of the suspect: Male, Hispanic, light complexion, 5'8"-5'10", wearing a white hat, tan coat, orange work gloves, black pants, black sneakers and wearing a red and black backpack. 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: · See Something - Say Something: Immediately notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212 or 100 from any campus phone if you believe a crime is occurring, has occurred, or is about to occur. · 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 suspicious people or activity. 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).

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. No signature block closes this one, but "the MIT Police responded" and "The MIT Police are investigating this crime" attribute the message to the department throughout.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The message repeatedly attributes itself to "the MIT Police", the responding and investigating department.
    2. present: MIT Police are identified as the responding and investigating agency issuing the tips.
    3. present: The text repeatedly credits "the MIT Police", who responded and are investigating the crime.
    4. present: MIT Police are named as the responding and investigating agency in the body of the notice.
    5. present: "MIT Police" appear as responders and investigators, identifying the issuing authority despite no signature block.
    6. present: MIT Police are identified as the responding and investigating agency issuing this warning.
    7. present: "the MIT Police responded" and the closing tip block attributed to MIT Police identify the source.
    8. present: The text repeatedly attributes the notice to "the MIT Police", who are investigating the crime.
    9. present: "The MIT Police responded" and the department is named as the investigating authority throughout.
    10. present: The MIT Police are named as the responding and investigating agency throughout the notice.
    11. present: MIT Police are identified as responders and as the source of the safety tips.
    12. present: The notice says "the MIT Police responded" and repeatedly attributes the advice to MIT Police.
    13. present: MIT Police are identified as responding and investigating, which names the issuing authority.
    14. present: The message repeatedly credits the MIT Police as investigators and issuer of the tips.
    15. present: MIT Police are identified as responding and investigating, and the message is written in their voice.
    16. present: MIT Police are named as responders and investigators throughout the notice.
    17. present: MIT Police are named as responders and as the source of the safety tips, though no signature is appended.
    18. present: The notice repeatedly names "the MIT Police" as the investigating and issuing body.
    19. present: The message identifies the MIT Police both as responders and as the department requesting community help.
    20. present: The text repeatedly identifies "the MIT Police" as the responding and investigating authority.
    21. present: "the MIT Police responded" identifies the issuing police department even without a signature.
    22. present: The message comes from the MIT Police, named repeatedly as responder and investigator.
    23. present: The body says "the MIT Police responded" and the closing paragraphs speak for the MIT Police investigating.
    24. present: The MIT Police are named as responders and investigators throughout the notice.
    25. present: MIT Police are identified as the responding and investigating agency in the body of the notice.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The hazard is a burglary in which "someone entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and also took clothing from the first floor entrance area.

    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 named hazard is a burglary in which someone "removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing from the residence.
    2. present: It describes a burglary in which someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    3. present: A burglary is named: someone entered the residence and removed surveillance cameras and clothing.
    4. present: The named crime is burglary: someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    5. present: A burglary is described in which surveillance cameras and clothing were removed from the residence.
    6. present: The hazard is a burglary in which surveillance cameras and clothing were removed from the residence.
    7. present: The hazard is a burglary in which someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras".
    8. present: It reports "a burglary" in which cameras and clothing were removed from a residence.
    9. present: It reports "a report of a burglary" in which cameras and clothing were removed from the residence.
    10. present: It reports "a burglary" where someone entered the residence and removed surveillance cameras and clothing.
    11. present: Reports "a burglary" in which someone removed three surveillance cameras and clothing.
    12. present: The hazard is a burglary: someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    13. present: The hazard is a "burglary" in which someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    14. present: The named crime is a burglary in which someone "removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    15. present: Reports a burglary in which someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    16. present: It reports "a burglary" in which cameras and clothing were removed from the residence.
    17. present: "a report of a burglary" with surveillance cameras and clothing removed identifies the specific crime.
    18. present: The hazard is "a burglary" in which cameras and clothing were removed from the residence.
    19. present: It reports a burglary in which someone entered the residence and removed surveillance cameras and clothing.
    20. present: A burglary is named: someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" plus clothing.
    21. present: It documents "a burglary" in which surveillance cameras and clothing were removed.
    22. present: It reports a burglary in which someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
    23. present: The named crime is burglary: someone entered a residence and removed surveillance cameras and clothing.
    24. present: It reports "a burglary" in which someone entered the residence and removed surveillance cameras and clothing.
    25. present: It reports a burglary in which someone "entered the residence and removed 3 surveillance cameras" and clothing.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. It names "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston" and specifies which cameras came from 64 and which from 66.

    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 specifies "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston" and the floors involved.
    2. present: The place is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    3. present: Identifies "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    4. present: The site is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston", with floors specified.
    5. present: The place is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    6. present: The place is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    7. present: The address is explicit: "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    8. present: It names "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    9. present: The address given is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    10. present: The site is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston", with floors specified.
    11. present: Specifies "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    12. present: The location is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    13. present: It names "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston" with floor level detail.
    14. present: Location is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston", with floors specified.
    15. present: Locates it at "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    16. present: It names "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    17. present: It names "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston" and the floors involved.
    18. present: It names "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston", with floor detail.
    19. present: The place is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    20. present: It specifies "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    21. present: Named as "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    22. present: The site is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston", with floors specified.
    23. present: It locates the entry at "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    24. present: The location is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston".
    25. present: The site is "Theta XI, an MIT fraternity located at 64-66 Bay State Rd. in Boston", with floors specified.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. Readers are told to lock office and residential doors, to make sure "the door closes tightly behind you", and to "Report suspicious people or activity."

    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 instructs readers to lock doors, close doors behind them, and report suspicious people and tailgaters.
    2. present: It advises locking doors and windows and reporting suspicious people and tailgaters to police.
    3. present: Gives protective instructions such as locking doors even briefly and reporting suspicious people.
    4. present: It directs readers to lock doors, report tailgaters, and immediately notify MIT Police of crimes.
    5. present: The tips tell readers to lock residential doors, report tailgaters, and notify MIT Police immediately.
    6. present: Readers are instructed to lock residential doors, report suspicious activity, and call MIT Police.
    7. present: Readers are instructed to lock residential doors, report tailgaters, and call the police number given.
    8. present: It directs readers to notify MIT Police immediately and to keep doors and windows locked.
    9. present: It tells readers to lock doors, report tailgaters, and call the police tip line.
    10. present: Readers are instructed to lock residential doors, notify MIT Police of crimes, and report tailgaters.
    11. present: Urges locking residential doors and windows and immediately notifying MIT Police of crimes.
    12. present: It tells recipients to notify police at once, lock doors, and report tailgaters and suspicious activity.
    13. present: It gives protective instructions: lock doors and windows, report tailgaters, notify MIT Police of crimes.
    14. present: Readers are told to lock doors, close doors behind them, and report suspicious persons to police.
    15. present: Advises the reader to lock doors, report tailgaters, and notify MIT Police of crimes immediately.
    16. present: Protective instructions include locking residential doors and reporting tailgaters and suspicious people.
    17. present: It tells readers to lock doors, report suspicious people and call MIT Police about crime.
    18. present: Readers are instructed to lock doors, report tailgaters, and call MIT Police if a crime may be occurring.
    19. present: Readers get protective instructions: lock doors, report suspicious activity, notify MIT Police immediately.
    20. present: It advises locking doors even briefly, reporting tailgaters, and calling MIT Police about crimes.
    21. present: Readers are told to lock offices and residences and to report suspicious activity and tailgaters.
    22. present: Protective tips tell recipients to lock doors, close doors behind them, and report suspicious activity.
    23. present: It instructs the community to lock doors, close doors tightly, and report tailgaters and suspicious activity.
    24. present: It directs readers to lock doors, report tailgaters, and notify the MIT Police of suspected crimes.
    25. present: Readers are instructed to lock doors, report suspicious activity, and call MIT Police about crimes.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. Two stamps are given: the police response "On April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the entry "on Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".

    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: Two timestamps are given: the report at "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the entry at "5:53 PM".
    2. present: Times are precise: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the theft "at 5:53 PM" the day before.
    3. present: Anchored to "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the earlier "April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    4. present: Two dated times are given, "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    5. present: Times are specific: response "On April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the theft "at 5:53 PM" the day before.
    6. present: Timestamps such as "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM" are given.
    7. present: Two timestamps appear, "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    8. present: Dated "On April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" with the theft at "5:53 PM" on April 18.
    9. present: Times are explicit: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the theft "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    10. present: Two timestamps appear: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    11. present: Cites "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the theft on "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    12. present: Two timestamps appear: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the theft on "April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    13. present: Two dated clock times appear: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    14. present: It cites "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the theft time "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    15. present: Provides "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" for the report and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM" for the entry.
    16. present: Two clock references anchor it: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    17. present: Two timestamps are given: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    18. present: Times are precise: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    19. present: It dates the response to "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the entry to April 18 at 5:53 PM.
    20. present: Times are precise: "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the entry "at 5:53 PM" the previous day.
    21. present: Both report time "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and offense time "April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM" appear.
    22. present: Times such as "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM" are supplied.
    23. present: Two times are given: the response on "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and the entry on April 18 at 5:53 PM.
    24. present: Dates and times are given, including "April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
    25. present: Precise times are supplied: "On April 19, 2020 at 7:10 PM" and "Saturday April 18, 2020 at 5:53 PM".
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, 0 of 25 voted present. The message inventories what was taken, including the building's own surveillance cameras, but never characterizes any risk or consequence for residents.

    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 text lists items taken but never characterizes any risk or severity for the community.
    2. absent: Only stolen items are listed, with no statement of danger or potential consequences.
    3. absent: Loss of cameras and clothing is described without any statement of danger or seriousness.
    4. absent: The notice reports stolen property only, without saying the intruder posed any danger to residents.
    5. absent: The notice reports what was taken but never describes any risk or harm the burglar poses to readers.
    6. absent: The notice lists what was taken but never states any threat to personal safety.
    7. absent: The stolen cameras and clothing are listed without any claim of danger or harm to the community.
    8. absent: The loss of cameras and clothing is described without any claim of danger or seriousness.
    9. absent: The text reports property loss only, with no claim about danger or seriousness to readers.
    10. absent: The theft of cameras and clothing is reported with no mention of danger or potential consequences.
    11. absent: Loss of cameras and clothing is described with no severity or harm statement.
    12. absent: Property was taken but no consequence, risk, or severity to people is stated.
    13. absent: Loss of cameras and clothing is reported with no statement of danger or severity for readers.
    14. absent: The text lists items stolen but never says what danger this poses to the community.
    15. absent: Only stolen property is described; there is no statement of danger, injury risk, or seriousness.
    16. absent: Loss of cameras and clothing is reported without any statement of danger or severity.
    17. absent: Only stolen items are listed, with no statement of danger or severity for the community.
    18. absent: The text lists stolen items but never says what risk or harm this poses to the community.
    19. absent: The notice lists what was taken but never says the hazard is dangerous or could cause harm.
    20. absent: Property loss is listed but nothing about risk, danger, or consequence to community members.
    21. absent: The loss of cameras and clothing is listed without any statement of danger or severity.
    22. absent: Only property loss is recorded; no statement of risk, injury, or seriousness follows.
    23. absent: The loss of cameras and clothing is reported without any statement of danger or severity.
    24. absent: Property was taken, but no consequence, danger, or severity to people is expressed.
    25. absent: Removing cameras and clothing is reported without any claim about danger or consequences to readers.

Coded by Claude Opus 5

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

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

Key Findings

Official MIT Police crime-alert page preserves complete timely-warning narrative text.
Outcome
MIT Police investigation status as stated in the official crime alert.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Timely Warning Burglary | MIT Police
    police.mit.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Burglary prompts campus safety notice warning burglary — Saturday." Incident of April 20, 2020. Added July 2026; last updated August 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/mit-timely-warning-burglary-10-2020-04-20/

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

Tags
mitmassachusetts-institute-of-technologytimely-warningburglarycrime-alertUnder Investigation
Added July 2026Updated August 2026Via ingestion