Video: Porch Pirates In South Tampa Sought By Tampa Police

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Police Department is asking for assistance from the public in locating a woman responsible for package thefts in South Tampa.

Just before 4 p.m. on Dec. 6, a woman was seen on a home surveillance camera stealing a package off the front porch of a home in the 1000 block of South Moody Avenue. The woman, described as white with long red hair, fled in the passenger seat of a vehicle.

One month before, on Nov. 9, a woman matching the same description was caught on camera at an apartment complex in the 800 block of North Howard Avenue forcing entry into a locked mailroom accompanied by a male accomplice before stealing several delivered packages belonging to residents.

With the holiday increase in shopping and package deliveries, the Tampa Police Department is reminding residents not to become a victim of crimes of opportunity from now through the new year.

The city of Tampa is seeing a 35 percent increase in package thefts in 2022 compared to this time last year, with 265 reported victims of package theft compared to 197 victims during the same time in 2021 (68 additional victims).

Tampa police encourage all residents to take steps to make sure their holidays arrive. In addition to scheduling package deliveries or having packages delivered to a secure location, such as an Amazon locker, residents are reminded to lock their car doors and not to leave shopping bags or valuables in plain sight when leaving their vehicles. Vehicles with unlocked doors are more likely to be targeted by criminals than vehicles that are locked.

You can find tips on how to better protect your packages and home on the Holiday Safety section of our Tampa police website and sign up for the free Vacation Watch program, asking officers to check your home if you're headed out of town for the holidays.