LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) -- As thieves get more creative with stealing in broad daylight, homeowners and law enforcement have to get creative as well.

The Loudon County Sheriff's Office said when you're trying to protect yourself from porch pirates, surveillance cameras can come in handy.

Corporal Matt Fagiana said, "Any kind of tool that you can have to either deter or prevent those types of crimes are excellent.

While they may not necessarily deter thieves, they go a long way in nabbing the perpetrators.

"With the cameras that we see, such as the doorbells, while they may not prevent the actual theft, they will often provide some great evidence to track down the folks that are committing these crimes," he said.

Recently, a porch pirate caught on a Knoxville woman's surveillance camera pleaded guilty and was ordered to repay the victim. Investigators were able to track the suspect down thanks to the footage.

Fagiana said it may be a good idea to protect packages with lock boxes, such as the kind you can buy through Amazon.