Thanh Truong / Eyewitness News
Email: ttruong@wwltv.com | Twitter: @thanh412
NEW ORLEANS -- A burglar managed to break into two homes in Lakeview earlier this week by cutting the home's alarm systems.
It happened in the 5600 of Canal Boulevard between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
No one was home at either residence at the time of the burglaries, but New Orleans Police Department Sgt. Joseph Bouvier said at both houses, the wires to alarm systems were cut.
Bouvier adds that one homeowner failed to arm the home's security system.
'We had two houses burglarized. They were side by side and the perpetrator broke into two rear windows,' said Sergeant Bouvier.
Police say disabling home security systems is not a new tactic, but there is technology that can protect against it.
Bouvier is urging homeowners to consider cellular based alarm systems in addition to their traditional 'landline' security plans.
'It's very inexpensive to add cellular to your alarm, and if you do have someone attacking your phone lines, they can't attack the cellular,' said Sergeant Bouvier.
Spencer Smith, company president at Alarm Protection Services in Metairie, said a cellular network is his preferred method of sending and getting alerts.
APS provides security services for more than 10,000 customers in metro New Orleans.
'If someone were to cut your phone line, or even your internet cable, you're vulnerable to that, so this (cellular based alarms) gives you an added line of protection,' said Smith.
Smith said in the event that wires or cables are tampered with, a cellular based alarm will alert the company of the problem. Smith said that enables personnel responsible for surveillance to be aware of the situation and, if necessary, relay that alert to the homeowner.
Lakeview residents like Russell Mouton say they very much consider their neighborhood a safe one, but the recent burglaries, particularly the time of day in which they took place, are very concerning.
'It worries me, yes, because it just seems too easy now, it seems like it's getting easier for them,' said Mouton.
New Orleans police are asking residents and businesses near the scene of the burglaries to contact them if they have information or surveillance video that may be related to the crime.
