The Department of Public Safety was informed that on Friday, December 5th, 2025, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a suspicious person was identified at 2940 Broadway Hall. The individual is male presenting and elderly, with a fair, rosy complexion and a large bushy white beard. They were wearing red pants, a red jacket, and a fur collar, and appeared to present a rather jolly demeanor.
A video review shows the individual approaching the student residence hall in a large wooden vehicle that appeared to be driven by nine medium-sized brown animals, likely deer or antelope. The individual attempted to gain access to a student resident hall via the chimney after successfully scaling the building’s wall via pipe. Once on the roof, the individual was spotted lugging a large sack across the top of Furnald Hall, where they were spotted by a mandated reporter. Some students, all of whom are coincidentally on academic probation this semester, reported the presence of coal in their rooms following the incident, creating a fire hazard. The individual was last seen ditching the wooden vehicle in favor of an Uber Black. The nine brown animals, one with a notably rosy nose, were also seen entering the vehicle.
If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact Public Safety at 212 854-2797.
Harm Reduction Strategies:
- Do not swipe people into a building unless you know who they are and what they are doing (even if they claim to have presents.) If you do not feel safe stopping a person from entering behind you, you can always call Public Safety (212-854-2797) once you are in a safe location.
- Reinforce all entrances and windows to your dormitory. Plastic wrap, towels, and issues of the Columbia Daily Spectator can provide not only insulation during the colder months, but also safeguards against intruders. When safe and if possible, do not allow others to piggyback behind you when you are entering your apartment building. Make sure the doors (and chimneys) lock behind you every time you enter or exit a building.
- Stay informed about delivery statuses, especially as the Holiday Season approaches. Packages remain available for pickup only at designated mail centers. Reports that delivery companies can deliver directly to a CU student’s dorm room, contingent on their good standing, are misleading and false.
- Many mail carriers (UPS, Fed Ex, North Pole Express) have offices where you can drop-off and pick-up your packages safely. You can also arrange delivery to partnered local businesses, like pharmacies.
Disclaimer: Clery Crime Alerts (Timely Warning Notifications) are distributed pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Columbia University is required to alert the campus community when certain crimes occur in our Clery Act defined campuses that represent a serious or continuous threat to the community.To see this and other Clery Crime Alerts please visit our Public Safety website. For more information about Columbia University’s Clery Act compliance efforts, please contact the Department’s Compliance Unit by emailing ps-compliance@columbia.edu.
