{
  "id": "2025-04-12-cornell-university-clara-dickson-hall-arson",
  "slug": "cornell-university-clara-dickson-hall-arson-2025-04-12",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Cornell University",
    "shortName": "Cornell",
    "state": "NY",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "CornellALERT / Crime Alerts",
    "enrollment": 26000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-04-12",
    "type": "arson",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "resolution": "contained",
    "headline": "Residence-hall kitchenette smoke detector set on fire",
    "headlinePublic": "Residence-hall kitchenette smoke detector set on fire",
    "summary": "Cornell Police [issued a Crime Alert after a smoke detector in a Clara Dickson Hall kitchenette was set on fire](https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert/) at about 1:57 a.m. on April 12, 2025, then [posted that the individual responsible had been identified](https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert-2/).",
    "outcome": "Cornell Police identified the individual responsible the same afternoon. Duplicate update pages crimealert-2 and crimealert-3 carry identical body text."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2025-04-12T05:46:18-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "On April 12, 2025, at 1:57 a.m., the Cornell University Police Department was notified of an arson at Clara Dickson Hall, 21 Sisson Place, City of Ithaca. A smoke detector in room 4534 kitchenette area appeared to have been intentionally set on fire around 1:57 a.m. on April 12, 2025.\n\nThere is no suspect description available at this time. The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by the Cornell University Police Department and the Cornell University Fire Marshal’s Office.\n\nAnyone with information related to this crime is asked to contact the Cornell University Public Safety Communications Center at (607) 255-1111.\n\nThe Cornell University Police Department and Cornell University Fire Marshal’s Office urge the community to protect themselves in the event of a fire by alerting those around you, evacuating the building, closing room doors as you leave, activating the fire alarm, and moving away from the building once you exit. Immediately report any suspected criminal activity by dialing 911 or utilizing the RAVE Guardian app.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert/",
      "sourceDescription": "Cornell DPS Crime Alert: Arson, Clara Dickson Hall",
      "annotations": [
        "Dual independent WP REST fetch 2026-08-24. Body sha256 6277cad23d73c3d7c5ee135bbc41510bd869c54070f72311df82d7fe3f6c760f.",
        "Curly apostrophe in Fire Marshal's preserved.",
        "Distinct incident from 2025-03-14-cornell-university-schuyler-house-arson: different building and date (Clara Dickson April 12 vs Schuyler House March 14)."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1048
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2025-04-12T15:25:25-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Update – Crime Alert-Arson Clara Dickson Hall\n\nCornell Police have identified the individual responsible for this morning’s arson incident.\n\n Anyone with additional information related to this crime is asked to contact the Cornell University Public Safety Communications Center at (607) 255-1111.\n\nThe Cornell University Police Department and Cornell University Fire Marshal’s Office urge the community to protect themselves in the event of a fire by alerting those around you, evacuating the building, closing room doors as you leave, activating the fire alarm, and moving away from the building once you exit. Immediately report any suspected criminal activity by dialing 911 or utilizing the RAVE Guardian app.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert-2/",
      "sourceDescription": "Cornell DPS Crime Alert update: Clara Dickson Hall arson individual identified",
      "annotations": [
        "Dual independent WP REST fetch 2026-08-24. Body sha256 2f2b6ec510b357487f0be5c01eb32c50bf30a307387197b3569c14295d4f1a78.",
        "En-dash in Update heading and curly apostrophes preserved. Leading space before Anyone preserved.",
        "crimealert-3 (15:29) is an identical body; not filed as a third sequence."
      ],
      "characterCount": 713
    }
  ],
  "context": "Cornell publishes full Crime Alert narratives at [publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts](https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/). Clara Dickson Hall is at 21 Sisson Place.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Initial product names a smoke detector set on fire in room 4534 kitchenette.",
    "Same-day update reports the individual responsible was identified; fire-safety guidance is repeated."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Cornell Crime Alert: Arson, Clara Dickson Hall",
      "url": "https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-24",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture 2026-08-24; archive.org save endpoint returned HTTP 523"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cornell Crime Alert update: Clara Dickson Hall arson",
      "url": "https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert-2/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-24",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture 2026-08-24; archive.org save endpoint returned HTTP 523"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cornell Crime Alert update duplicate page crimealert-3",
      "url": "https://publicsafety.cornell.edu/crime-alerts/crimealert-3/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-24",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture 2026-08-24; archive.org save endpoint returned HTTP 523"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "private-r1",
    "new-york",
    "cornell",
    "arson",
    "timely-warning"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-08-24",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-08-24",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}