NEW ORLEANS —For the second day in a row, the New Orleans Police Department closed off part of downtown to investigate unattended bags.

www.wdsu.com

Two near-simultaneous incidents happened on Thursday evening.  One bag was left in the 600 block of Canal Street, the other in the 600 block of Poydras.

A police spokesman told WDSU it responded to the Poydras Street location after receiving a call reporting a "suspicious package." Investigators determined the package was not harmful shortly after they arrived.

The second incident involved a backpack left by a trash can on Canal Street.

The backpack had men's clothing in it and was deemed safe.

The steps were taken "out of an abundance of caution and as well as public safety," Robertson said.

On Wednesday, officials closed off an area outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to investigate an abandoned suitcase, which was eventually deemed harmless.

In St. Tammany Parish, law enforcement officials "detonated" what turned out to be a briefcase filled with garbage.

The Monday bombings of the Boston City Marathon have led to an uptick in reports of suspicious packages across the country.

Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/new-orleans/Two-more-suspicious-packages-prompt-police-action-in-NOLA/-/9853400/19811432/-/hxxdah/-/index.html#ixzz2Qv2SD6jW