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If You See Something, Say Something

New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority designed the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign in 2002 to assist in securing the transit system in the New York City area. The campaign encouraged riders to contact public safety officials if they witnessed suspicious activity or came across an unattended package. The HUPD is adopting a similar campaign to address one of the biggest crime problems on campus: thefts. Over the last five years we have recorded approximately 700 thefts annually. Almost all of the thefts involved the taking of unattended property from public spaces or from unsecured offices and residences. Thefts from offices and residences usually were perpetrated by individuals with no connection to the University who entered locked buildings illegally by piggybacking or entered unlocked buildings.

In order for the HUPD to maintain a safe and secure environment for the students, faculty, and staff of the University, it needs the help of the community. The HUPD can not do it alone! As noted, take precautions to protect your property by never leaving it unattended in public and by locking your room or office when you leave it even for a moment, and maintain your safety while traveling throughout campus by walking with others on well-lit streets and by using the shuttle bus, escort van or HUCEP.

In addition, we need you to serve as our eyes and ears. You are in a better position to identify behavior and activities that are out of the ordinary in your residence or workplace. When you do identify suspicious behavior we need you to call the HUPD. You should trust your instincts. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Don’t ignore it or keep it to yourself. Call us – even if you are unsure about what is occurring. We are not encouraging community members to intervene or take actions on their own. We just need you to take a moment to call us to alert us to the situation. We will then dispatch officers immediately to investigate the situation and take appropriate actions.

Below are examples of community members who saw something that didn’t seem right and called us immediately. In these cases and in others, the HUPD was able to arrest the offenders.

• October 2007 - A graduate school student observed an individual wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a bandana covering his face pacing back and forth in front of the student's residence. When officers arrived, they observed the individual hiding in the shadows, skulking behind a couple walking on the sidewalk. Officers approached the individual and conducted a field interview. During the interview officers discovered what they believed was a handgun. Upon further investigation it was determined that the gun was a realistic-looking pellet gun. The suspect was placed under arrest for trespassing and weapons violation.
• October 2007 - Two undergraduate students called the HUPD after observing an unknown individual checking the locks of two bicycles locked to the bike rack outside of Gund Hall. The students thought this was suspicious since the individual was already on a bicycle and felt that the person was attempting to steal a bicycle. Officers arrived and stopped the individual, who was attempting to leave the area. After determining that he had previously been given a trespass warning to stay off University property, officers arrested him for trespassing.
• October 2007 - An undergraduate student observed two individuals breaking into a motor vehicle at the intersection of Quincy and Harvard streets and contacted the Cambridge Police Department to report the incident. Observing the two suspects a short distance away, an HUPD detective on patrol in the area stopped them. The two individuals were placed under arrest by Cambridge Police Department for the theft.
• November 2007 - A staff member observed an unidentified person leaving an office carrying a backpack that the staff member knew belonged to a fellow staff member. The staff member immediately called the HUPD. Officers located the individual in an adjacent building. After an investigation revealed that the individual also stole a watch from another office, he was placed under arrest for trespassing and burglary.
• March 2008 - A resident of graduate student housing reported to the HUPD a domestic disturbance in progress. When the responding officers heard shouting and a loud disturbance coming from an apartment, they identified themselves and asked the residents to open the door. Inside the apartment, they observed an upset male resident with visible injuries. The victim's girlfriend was arrested for domestic assault and battery.
• April 2008 - An undergraduate student reported to the HUPD that an unidentified person was trying to gain entry to an undergraduate House very late at night. Upon arrival officers observed the unidentified male attempting to remove a bicycle from a pole in front of the building. When the suspect admitted that the bicycle did not belong to him, officers placed him under arrest for theft.
• June 2008 - A staff member working after hours in the Fairchild Laboratory observed three unidentified individuals enter the lab. The staff member asked the individuals what they were doing. The individuals ignored the staff member, left the lab, and began walking down the hall checking doors. The staff member immediately called the HUPD. When officers arrived, the three individuals attempted to flee the area. The individuals were apprehended after a foot chase and arrested for burglary and trespassing. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the individuals stole property from another lab the same night.
• June 2008 - A staff member observed an individual using a bolt cutter to remove the lock from a bicycle that was locked to the rack outside of Dudley House. The staff member immediately reported the suspicious activity to an HUPD officer on foot patrol in the Yard. The officer stopped the individual as he was attempting to leave the area. While the officer was talking to the individual, a student approached and informed the officer that someone had cut the lock off of his bicycle. The individual was placed under arrest for attempted theft and vandalism.

These examples demonstrate the positive results that can occur when community members who observe suspicious activity call the HUPD immediately. By being vigilant and looking out for each other, students, faculty, and staff can assist the HUPD in keeping the University safe and secure. The small inconvenience of calling the HUPD is far outweighed by the benefit of removing someone who doesn’t belong in a building and is there to take someone’s property.