TAMPA, Fla. — A doorbell camera captured a thief swiping a package off the doorstep of a Tampa home.
Kristin Berry arrived home on Friday afternoon after taking her cat to the vet's office.
She saw a package left on her doorstep but went inside to drop off her cat.
"I wanted to get her situated inside. As I was doing that, I got a notification that someone was on my porch, so I looked at the video right away. I saw someone taking the package, and then I rushed outside," said Berry.
Berry said she got in her car and started to follow the suspect, who was not far away. She also dialed 9-1-1, and a dispatcher advised her to stop pursuing the suspect for her own safety.
"I called 9-1-1 and just said I’m kind of in pursuit of two teenagers who just took a package off my porch; this is kind of the cross-section that they’re at. I’m following them, and they told me to back off just for my own safety purposes," she said.
Police are still looking to identify the thief and said it's an open investigation.
Berry said about $120 worth of patio furniture was stolen.
"It's just rude and immature, and sadly, it's going to keep happening. I know it ramps up during holiday time," she said.
The Tampa Police Department said package thefts are a crime of opportunity. Officers encourage residents to minimize their risk of becoming a target to porch pirates by following these tips:
- Purchase a porch lock box that is designed to receive packages and keep them secure. Typically, lock boxes can only be opened with a key or lock combination.
- Utilizing the feature to track a package, ask a friend, neighbor, or family member to pick up your package(s) once they're delivered.
- If given the option, require a signature upon delivery.
- Request for packages to be delivered at secure locations such as Amazon lockers, FedEx, or UPS stores.
Anyone with information that could assist detectives with their investigation is asked to call Tampa Police at 813-231-6130 or submit an anonymous tip by contacting Crime Stoppers at 800-873-TIPS (8477) or via TIP411.
