BATON ROUGE - Police announced more than a dozen arrests Tuesday as part of an effort to crack down on domestic violence in the capital area.

The Baton Rouge Police Department held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss 18 recent domestic violence arrests.

Amid Domestic Violence Awareness month and a spike in domestic violence-related deaths, law enforcement officials are working on the "stop the loss" initiative to capture domestic violence suspects still on the streets. The plan is a joint effort between BRPD, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshal's Office, and East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office. 

According to District Attorney Hillar Moore, the initiative is meant to form a community-coordinated response to provide safety and offer services to victims of domestic violence.

Officials are also asking for the public's assistance in bringing individuals to justice by coming forward with useful information.

Police say they are still actively seeking five more suspects in the area for domestic violence-related crimes.

Baton Rouge Crime Stoppers ask those with information on suspects in unresolved domestic violence cases call at 344-7867.