Residents of two Ottawa neighbourhoods that have been plagued by a recent string of house intrusions are taking measures to make sure no one else is able to break into their homes.

"It's really hard to have someone break into your house and touch your things," said Elizabeth, a woman whose home was targeted last week. "My bedroom was totally upside down…everything that contained something was emptied on the middle of the floor."

Elizabeth, who didn't want her last name to be used, is one of 25 homeowners in Ottawa's Civic Hospital and Glebe neighbourhoods whose homes were broken into over the past week.

Police said the robberies are happening during the day and thieves are gaining access to homes through back doors and windows. So far, cash, electronics and jewelry have been stolen.

"It's something that is troubling to us and it's something that we're certainly dedicating a lot of resources to," said Sgt. Kal Ghadban.

Elizabeth has installed an alarm in her home to prevent future break-ins. Alarm specialist Bruce McCaffery said alarms deter would-be thieves. 

"Bad guys…they're going to notice the sticker on the door, on the window. There's going to be a lawn sign outside," he said. "They're going to know the home has got an alarm."

Police said residents should also report any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods and be aware of people knocking on doors and then claiming they're at the wrong house. It's also important for homeowners to change their routines to make it difficult for thieves to know when anyone is home.

Homeowners can also access police crime report maps for their neighbhourhoods to see if homes near theirs have been targeted.