{
  "id": "2026-06-23-columbia-university-fort-washington-ebike-thefts",
  "slug": "columbia-university-fort-washington-ebike-thefts-2026-06-23",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Columbia University",
    "shortName": "Columbia",
    "state": "NY",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "Columbia Public Safety Clery Alert",
    "enrollment": 33000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2026-06-23",
    "type": "motor-vehicle-theft",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "headline": "Timely warning for e-bike thefts on Fort Washington",
    "headlinePublic": "Timely warning for e-bike thefts on Fort Washington",
    "summary": "Columbia Public Safety [issued Clery Crime Alert W16](https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/publicsafety.columbia.edu/files/content/W16_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_E-Bike_Theft_168thStreetandBlackBuildingLoadingDock_2026-06-23_2026-06-30.pdf) for the incident described in the official PDF.",
    "outcome": "Two different suspects. Public Safety seeking tips."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "2026-06-23 (Clery Crime Alert W16 posting)",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Clery Crime Alert\nMotor Vehicle/E-Bike Theft\n\nColumbia University Public Safety was recently informed of an electric bicycle theft from the bike rack on Fort Washington Avenue, located\nbetween West 168th Street and the Black Building loading dock entrance. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at approximately 5:16\nAM.\n\nA similar incident occurred at the same location on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at approximately 7:14 PM. The two incidents appear to have been\ncommitted by different suspects, both of whom forcibly removed secured electric bicycles from the bike rack.\n\nDescription of Suspect(s):\n\nThe individual captured on CCTV is the suspect associated with the June 30 incident: The suspect is described as a male-presenting individual with\na dark complexion, wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers, and a black baseball cap.\n\nThe individual captured on CCTV is the suspect associated with the June 23 incident: The suspect is described as a male-presenting individual with\na dark complexion, wearing a light blue long-sleeve sweatshirt, dark pants, tan and red sneakers, and a dark bucket hat. The individual is also\ncarrying a dark backpack and a large black duffel bag.\n\nNo further information is available at this time.\n\nIf you have any additional information about these incidents, please contact Investigator Torres at 212-854-0377 and reference report numbers\n26-002242 or 26-002307.\n\nHarm Reduction Strategies:\n\nNo one is ever responsible for a crime committed against them. The responsibility lies entirely with the perpetrator. If something happens,\nwe encourage you to report it. Reporting helps protect others and ensures you can access support and services. Report the incident to the\nDepartment of Public Safety at\n\nMorningside: 212-854-5555\nManhattanville: 212-853-3333\nMedical Center: 212-305-7979\nConsider registering your bicycles and other valuable property with Public Safety’s Operation ID program.\nWhen possible, avoid parking your bicycle or scooter at a non-designated location. Commuter Bicycle Parking enclosures can be found here.\nThe Bicycle Parking map can be found here.\nConsider using a heavy-duty lock and/or chain to secure your bicycle or scooter. Tips on locking your bike can be found here.\n\nDisclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. Columbia University\nis required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous\nthreat to the community. For additional information, please visit our Clery Act website or email ps-compliance@columbia.edu",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/publicsafety.columbia.edu/files/content/W16_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_E-Bike_Theft_168thStreetandBlackBuildingLoadingDock_2026-06-23_2026-06-30.pdf",
      "sourceDescription": "Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (W16)",
      "annotations": [
        "PDF dual-download MATCH 2026-09-21. Text-layer ligatures/NBSP/Ō normalized to ASCII, matching W05/W06 capture practice. verbatim sha256 a93fcd5b66286148587ac4c330007bba4bc0b75e7d8180b2d17c80ab23940507. PDF bytes sha256 b0d9efa5729cdca2fa1a97680419efb17d1bc372d67f375df3501f7549902a05.",
        "Distinct incident from 2026-06-29-columbia-university-611-west-112th-motor-vehicle-theft: different dates and Fort Washington e-bikes vs a parked vehicle on West 112th."
      ],
      "characterCount": 2668
    }
  ],
  "context": "Columbia Public Safety posts Clery Crime Alerts as PDFs. Official product: the [W16 warning](https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/publicsafety.columbia.edu/files/content/W16_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_E-Bike_Theft_168thStreetandBlackBuildingLoadingDock_2026-06-23_2026-06-30.pdf).",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Official PDF lists e-bike thefts on June 23 and June 30 at the Fort Washington Avenue bike rack."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Columbia Public Safety Clery Crime Alert PDF (W16)",
      "url": "https://publicsafety.columbia.edu/sites/publicsafety.columbia.edu/files/content/W16_Clery_Motor_Vehicle_E-Bike_Theft_168thStreetandBlackBuildingLoadingDock_2026-06-23_2026-06-30.pdf",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-09-21",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN not attempted after 500 flap"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "private-r1",
    "new-york",
    "columbia",
    "ivy",
    "clery",
    "motor-vehicle-theft",
    "ebike"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-09-21",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-09-21",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}