METRO
THE HARVARD CRIMSON FEBRUARY 16, 2024
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CRIME
Increased Theft at Harvard Apartments ‘SELF-POLICING’ Residents at Harvard-owned apartment complex have resorted to “self-policing” amid increased theft. BY SALLY E. EDWARDS AND ASHER J. MONTGOMERY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
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arvard graduate student Raeesa Bukhary has had so many deliveries stolen from her residence at the Peabody Terrace — a Harvard-owned apartment complex — that she has stopped ordering packages to her home. Instead, she sends them to a friend’s house on another part of campus. Bukhary is one of several students who reported experiencing property thefts at Peabody Terrace. Despite complaints, residents say that the Harvard University Police Department has not adequately addressed the issue. Since Dec. 15, HUPD has received 17 incident reports from Peabody Terrace — including thefts, suspicious activity, and assaults. HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson that Harvard affiliates should take “precautions to protect their property.” “Although reported crime at Harvard is low, more than 95 percent of it is property crime,” he wrote. “It is important for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to remember that we are located in an open and densely populated setting.” According to multiple residents, the Peabody Terrace WhatsApp group chat is active
weekly with photos of ripped up packages found by the river or in a parking lot, as well as reports of missing Instacart groceries and bicycles. Residents have also reported accounts of suspicious activity and harassment. Bukhary said Harvard graduate students living in Peabody Terrace are left feeling frustrated by the “unacceptable” absence of cameras on the property. Bukhary said her friend’s residence — where she has been sending her packages — has “a security space.” “You need a password and everything to enter into the package room,” she said. “If they have that, then how hard could it be to implement here?” she added. PJ Connors, the Peabody Terrace property manager, wrote in a statement to The Crimson that “residents should call HUPD directly with any immediate safety concerns, or use blue light phones to report suspicious activity, crimes in progress or any emergency situation.” Harvard graduate student Raeesa Bukhary has had so many deliveries stolen from her residence at the Peabody Terrace — a Harvard-owned apartment complex — that she has stopped ordering packages to her home. Instead, she sends them to a friend’s house on another part of campus. Bukhary is one of several students who reported experiencing property thefts at Peabody Terrace. Despite complaints, residents say that the Harvard University Police Department has not adequately addressed the issue. Since Dec. 15, HUPD has re-
Residents at Peabody Terrace, a Harvard-owned apartment complex, alleged the Harvard University Police Department has not done enough to address a pattern of property theft. JINA H. CHOE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
ceived 17 incident reports from Peabody Terrace — including thefts, suspicious activity, and assaults. HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson that Harvard affiliates should take “precautions to protect their property.” “Although reported crime at Harvard is low, more than 95 percent of it is property crime,” he wrote. “It is important for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to remember that we are located in an open and densely populated setting.”
According to multiple residents, the Peabody Terrace WhatsApp group chat is active weekly with photos of ripped up packages found by the river or in a parking lot, as well as reports of missing Instacart groceries and bicycles. Residents have also reported accounts of suspicious activity and harassment. Bukhary said Harvard graduate students living in Peabody Terrace are left feeling frustrated by the “unacceptable” absence of cameras on the property. Bukhary said her friend’s res-
Harvard Updates City on Construction and Climate Initiatives in ‘Town Gown’ Report BY MADELINE E. PROCTOR CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Harvard discussed its developments in Cambridge and Allston, and sustainability efforts during its 27th annual Town Gown report to the Cambridge Planning Board Tuesday evening. Harvard representatives joined spokespeople from Lesley University and MIT to present Town Gown reports, which detail the institutions’ engagement with the city beyond their gates. The phrase “Town Gown” refers to dialogue between academic institutions — symbolized by a graduation gown — and the town, representing Cambridge. Harvard’s report largely focused on the University’s sustainability and climate initiatives. Heather A. Henriksen, Harvard’s chief sustainability officer, said Harvard has already taken
steps toward its goal of fossil fuel neutrality by 2026. “You may see some of our 100 percent electric buses driving the streets of Cambridge,” Henriksen said. Still, Henriksen said Harvard has more steps to take to meet its goals, such as increasing solar power on campus and constructing “fossil-fuel free buildings.” Harvard presenters also discussed in-progress developments across the more than 16 million square feet of Cambridge real estate owned by the University. Alexandra J. Offiong, Harvard’s director of planning services, updated the city on the plans to construct a new building for the Economics department on the plot of land behind the Littauer Center, which currently houses the department. The building was funded by a $100 million donation from Pen-
ny S. Pritzker ’81, the Senior Fellow of the Harvard Corporation — Harvard’s highest governing body. Offiong added that Harvard is “nearing completion of the renovation of 60 Oxford Street,” an existing building for the Harvard Quantum Initiative in Science and Engineering and is currently renovating Harvard Science Center’s teaching labs. Offiong also showcased projects in Allston, including the planned construction of the Enterprise Research Campus and a new performance center for the American Repertory Theater — which will also include 500 beds of housing. Harvard concluded by sharing progress on initiatives to engage Cambridge students. Thomas J. Lucey, Harvard’s director of government and community relations, said partnerships with Cambridge Public
Schools are a priority for Harvard. “Harvard programs are in every single CPS school,” Lucey said. “These programs range from curriculum-based initiatives that benefit all students at various grade levels, to the high school summer school, to internships in Harvard labs, to programs that address achievement gaps.” During the meeting, some Planning Board members advocated for greater collaboration between the three schools and increased engagement with the greater Boston area. “We’re stronger together — the institutions and the city,” said Planning Board member Tom Sieniewicz. “We need each other to make this an even more extraordinary community, and to also help fix the world.” madeline.proctor@thecrimson.com
Harvard presented its 27th annual Town Gown report to the Cambridge Planning Board on Tuesday, updating the city on construction and climate initiatives. MARGARET F. ROSS — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
idence — where she has been sending her packages — has “a security space.” “You need a password and everything to enter into the package room,” she said. “If they have that, then how hard could it be to implement here?” she added. PJ Connors, the Peabody Terrace property manager, wrote in a statement to The Crimson that “residents should call HUPD directly with any immediate safety concerns, or use blue light phones to report suspicious activity, crimes in progress or any
emergency situation.” “What we are doing as a collective community, whoever sees any courier delivery or packages, they just bring it inside and just keep it near the lift,” he said. Despite Peabody Terrace residents’ efforts to remain vigilant without authority support, Verzola said the number of thefts has not decreased. “There are no cameras,” Verzola said. “The police are never there.” sally.edwards@thecrimson.com asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com
Pressure to Address Steward Health Care BY JINA H. CHOE AND JACK R. TRAPANICK CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 is under increasing pressure to address the financial crisis facing Steward Health Care, which operates nine hospitals statewide including the Brighton-based St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Healey will speak to the Public Health Council Wednesday morning about the crisis, her spokesperson Karissa Hand wrote in an email, amid mounting questions about whether Steward can find a buyer to assume ownership of some of its hospitals. A Boston Globe investigation last month revealed the health care system was tens of millions behind on rent, making some of its hospitals vulnerable to service reductions or closures. If St. Elizabeth’s were to close, it could have immense ramifications for both Allston’s economy and the health of its residents, said Anna Leslie, executive director of the Allston Brighton Health Collaborative. “Not only is it the largest healthcare provider in the neighborhood, it’s the largest employer in the neighborhood,” Leslie said. In an email to The Crimson, a spokesperson for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 wrote that city officials are “in contact with the state and unions and are monitoring the situation closely.” Paul Hattis, a former member of the state Attorney General’s Health Policy Commission, said Healey’s administration has several options at its disposal, although at the moment, “the ball seems to be in Steward’s court.” Those options include a court-appointed receivership, inspection of Steward’s hospitals, or helping finance the sale of the hospitals to other regional healthcare groups. The state could also bail out the company, a possibility Healey has publicly dismissed. In a statement on Feb. 2, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced they “are conducting daily on-site monitoring visits” at St. Elizabeth’s and two other hospitals to evaluate day-to-day staffing, supplies, and
patient count. EOHHS also said they were working to determine the patient capacity of other health care providers in the state, suggesting the administration is taking steps to prepare for the possibility of hospital closures. On Feb. 2, Steward claimed to have secured enough financing to keep all its Massachusetts hospitals open while it looks for new owners of some of its hospitals. Still, some prominent state lawmakers including House Speaker Ron Mariano, a Quincy Democrat, remain suspicious of the health care giant, which has not released the details of its bridge funding plan. Leslie said the crisis at Steward could have been foreseen well in advance. St. Elizabeth’s had failed to pay $150,000 it owed to the ABHC as part of a non-binding community benefits agreement, Leslie said in an interview Tuesday morning. Later on Tuesday, St. Elizabeth paid the $50,000 it owed the ABHC for 2023, Leslie wrote in an email Tuesday night. “It’s troubling that it got this far,” Leslie said. “There were a lot of warning signs directly from staff, from community partners like us.” A spokesperson for St. Elizabeth’s did not respond to a request for comment. In an email, Caroline Whitehouse, a spokesperson for the EOHHS wrote that Healey’s administration had been in communication with Steward over its finances for months. Hattis said Steward has exhibited a pattern of failing to disclose information about its finances to the state. Steward sued the state Center for Health Information and Analysis in 2016 to prevent the handover of their financial statements. By that point, the health care giant had been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for refusing to disclose required financial data to the state. In Boston, the City Council will hold a hearing on the Steward crisis on Thursday, Feb. 22, which will include testimony from members of the public. jina.choe@thecrimson.com jack.trapanick@thecrimson.com