Welcome to the UMPD Alerts and Advisories page. This is where you can find crime alerts, traffic advisories, weather advisories and other general information that we think would help keep you safe.
Alerts and Advisories below will be dated and will include any information that we feel is pertinent to the event or topic. This is not the same as the Umass Alerts that you may get on your phone or through your email. Although it is possible that those events may end up here you will want to check in with Umass Emergency Management for more information regarding those alerts (including how to sign up to get them). For more information on campus closures in the event of an emergency you should visit the "Campus Operational Status" page.
Safety Advisory: Bottle Bombs
Date Occurred: November 11, 2023
**Update 12/4/23** This case has been closed and charges brought forward. Thank you to the officers who spent countless hours working on this case and bringing it to a close.
UMPD is investigating related incidents that occurred Thursday and Saturday mornings involving “bottle bombs” that were likely thrown from a building. These devices are fabricated using materials that create a chemical reaction causing the bottle to swell and explode which can cause injuries and severe chemical burns. Please be aware that even bottles sitting for a while still have the potential to explode due to an unpredictable chemical reaction.
We ask that people remain cautious and examine any discarded bottle carefully from a distance. If the bottle shows signs of swelling or melting, call (413) 545-3111 or 911 and stay clear.
Building or possessing of a destructive or incendiary device to include “bottle bombs” is a violation of Massachusetts General Law. The felony is punishable by up to 5 years in prison or by a fine of not more than $25,000 or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Anyone with information on Saturday's incident is asked to contact the UMass Police Department at (413) 545-2121. If you wish to remain anonymous you may leave a voice message on the TIP line at (413) 577-TIPS (8477). Also available for anonymous reporting is the UMPD anonymous witness form.
Hit & Run: Information Sought
Date Occurred: 3/21/2022
UPDATE 3/24/2022: VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOCATED AND A SUSPECT HAS BEEN PLACED IN CUSTODY. UMPD would like to thank our community for all of the assistance that was received regarding this incident. This is still an ongoing investigation; further information will come from the Northwestern District Attorney's Office.
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst Police Department is seeking assistance in identifying the driver of an SUV who failed to stop after striking a pedestrian crossing Massachusetts Avenue in a crosswalk around 10:15 p.m. Monday. A 20-year-old UMass Amherst student was crossing Massachusetts Avenue in a crosswalk near Sunset Avenue, having nearly reached the other side, when a white or silver colored SUV traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed struck him with the front driver’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle failed to stop and continued travelling eastbound on Massachusetts Avenue. The pedestrian was seriously injured, taken to Baystate Medical Center, where he remains. The vehicle appears to be a white/silver SUV with possible front-end damage (see attached images). The crash remains under investigation by the UMass Police Department, Massachusetts State Police Detectives attached to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section. The Northwestern District Attorney's Office issued a press release regarding the incident on Tuesday. “We are not only appealing to the public for their help identifying the driver involved in this incident, but appealing to the driver as well,” said Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne. “What happened last night is likely weighing on their conscience, and this is their opportunity to do the right thing by coming forward.”