Suspicious Package Found Near Tampa Cruise Ship Dock

A suspicious package found near the the dock for the Royal Caribbean cruise ship has forced an evacuation of the area, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The evacuation includes all of Terminal 3, the sheriff's office said in a media release. All Royal Caribbean staff have also been evacuated while the package is inspected. 

"During a routine cargo screening shortly after 9:00 a.m. today, a
specially-trained K-9 alerted to an item on the Terminal 3 dock near a Royal
Caribbean cruise ship. A second K-9 was brought in and also alerted to the
same item," the Sheriff's Office wrote in an email to the media. The dogs are part of a routine screening process at the port, the email says.

When it comes to suspicious activity, public awareness and the response of the Sheriff's Office has been heightened since September 11, 2001. The bombings earlier this week at the Boston Marathon have not had an impact, the Sheriff's Office says.

"In light of 9-11, the way law enforcement handles things has taken on more of a severity," says Debbie Carter, Spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The Royal Caribbean ship Jewel Of The Seas sails from Tampa. Its next scheduled date of departure is April 22, according to the Royal Caribbean website.

Bomb technicians are evaluating the item in order to dertimine whether or not it is an explosive device.

Stay with Patch for updates as they become available.