What To Do If Someone Breaks In to Your Home

So you thought your home was protected from burglars. Maybe you set up motion lights outside or put your lamp on a timer inside to make it appear like there was someone awake. Even with whatever steps your took to protecting your home, it happened to you. It can come as such a shock that you can likely lose a level head and forget some necessary steps to take after the event. In that case, we’ve got you covered.

• Call the police – this is time sensitive. If you weren’t home when the break-in occurred you don’t know how long it has been. The sooner after the break-in you call the police, the more likely they are to be able to catch the burglar and/or get whatever they stole back.
• Write everything down – if you were there when the break-in occurred, make sure you write down everything about the burglar you can remember. What they looked like, how many of them were there, what they were wearing, etc. It’s surprising how quickly you can forget important details especially in a traumatic time. If you have surveillance cameras, the footage will help the investigation as well.
• Take pictures – but don’t disturb anything. It’s important for the crime scene to be in the same condition as you found it when the police arrive. Make sure you get photos of where they broke in and where items were that they stole for insurance purposes.
• File a police report – you should be able to file either online or at the police station.
• File an insurance claim – contact your insurance company as soon as possible. You will need to give your police report number when filing your claim.
• Evaluate the weak points in your home security – make sure this can’t happen again. Even if you have an alarm system or surveillance cameras, installing preventative security on your home is your best bet to keeping burglars out.