BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge Police have a new detail designed to catch "Porch Pirates" with home deliveries expected to greatly increase this holiday season because of the ongoing pandemic.

"Every year we have these issues," Police PIO Sgt. L'Jean McNeely said.

The department's public information officer says BRPD formed the new detective squad to go after the package thieves and home burglars, especially during the gift-giving season.

Despite many homes now equipped with surveillance cameras and security systems, the face mask requirement is making it even easier for thieves to take advantage of the spike in online orders and doing so undetected.

Baton Rouge Police say they are upping their patrol this year to put a stop to the so-called "porch pirates."

"In those particular areas, we place our undercover detectives in an attempt to catch those thieves and the burglars," Sgt. McNeely said.

Sgt. McNeely says in addition to those undercover officials, the department is utilizing their own cameras, license plate readers, and other devices to crimefighter technology to catch these criminals.

In the Audobon Park community, a porch pirate is seen on video stealing not just a package, but a doorbell camera. The device being used to capture the crime.

This video is just one of many in the area of thieves stealing packages and the feeling of security for many residents.

The real-time crime division continues to collect information and identify where the theft is taking place. The undercover detail hit the street on Black Friday and will continue to patrol throughout the holiday season.