There are several things you should do after a home burglary. These include calling 911, waiting somewhere safe, not touching anything, and taking care of any children. You should also review your home’s security and make changes to avoid any future incidents.
When your house is broken into, it can be a very emotional, confusing, and overwhelming time.
You may feel scared, sad, and alone during this period and you may be wondering what exactly needs to be done afterwards to make your house more secure.
To help you and any family members cope with a break in, I have put together this guide which includes all of the steps that you will need to tale to get your life back to normal afterwards.
These tips will also help you to avoid becoming a victim of burglary again in the future.
What Do You Do If Your House Is Broken Into
There are a few things that you will need to do after your house has been broken into.
Follow the steps below, during and after a break in.
- Leave your house and call 911
- Don’t touch anything in the home
- Wait somewhere safe
- Take inventory
- Take care of any children
- Call your insurance company
- Clean up any mess
- Prepare for the future
- Check your home’s security
Leave Your House And Call 911
While a lot of burglars will most likely run away as soon as they hear you, some may choose to hide in your home and could cause a threat to you and your family.
If you arrive home and think there might be someone in your house, you should leave immediately and call 911.
Don’t Touch Anything In The Home
Some burglars will wear gloves to cover their tracks, but not all do. Avoid touching anything in your home until the police arrive so that they can do a thorough inspection.
Fingerprints are great for prosecuting the burglar, but this evidence can easily be destroyed if you touch things.
Until the police have confirmed it’s okay to do so, don’t touch or move anything.
Wait Somewhere Safe
Find shelter with someone that is nearby and that is safe, such as a neighbor’s house.
Also, take a note of any unfamiliar vehicles that may be parked near your place or anything that seems out of the ordinary so that you can report it to the police when they arrive.
Take Inventory
You will need to make a list of anything that was damaged during the break in and anything that was stolen. You’ll need to provide this list to both the police and your insurance company.
It’s a good idea to take pictures of any damage so that you have evidence in case it is needed later down the line.
Take Care Of Children
Many parents may prefer to have their children stay with friends or relatives temporarily until the home has been cleaned up and life gets back to normal.
While this may not always be possible, it is a good idea.
Burglaries can be a very emotional time for the entire family. The destruction caused by a break in will be scary for you and likely heart-breaking on top of it.
It would be better if your children don’t see you so distressed – especially as this can make them also feel unsafe in the home.
Call Your Insurance Company
Hopefully, you have home or renter’s insurance. If you do, now is the time to call them.
The agent can help you file a claim and let you know what information they will need to process it. This could include a police report and photos of any damage that may have occurred.
They will also want any receipts or credit card statements you may have that can verify the cost of any stolen or damaged items, plus any serial numbers or warranties that might accompany the items.
Clean Up Any Mess
Cleaning up any mess that has been made, making repairs, and replacing broken items can help you start to regain a sense of normality in your home.
Ask friends and family to help as much as they can to help speed up the process. This way, you can go back to enjoying life in your home as soon as possible.
Prepare For The Future
The best way that you can prepare for the future after a burglary is to educate yourself on home security.
In today’s market, there are so many different types of state-of-the-art security cameras and home security systems that could help to prevent future break ins.
Now is the time to research the best one for your needs and put it into place.
Check Your Home’s Security
If you choose to have a professional security system installed, be sure to check it regularly to ensure it is working correctly at all times.
You should also check to see if there are any additional security measures that you could put in place such as automatic lights, motion detectors, and light timers that could help to deter burglars away from your home.
What Do Police Do After A Break In?
After a break in, the police will usually ask you a few routine questions that may help them catch the culprit.
Below are some examples of questions that you may be asked during your police interview:
- “Was anyone home during the break-in?”
- “Did you notice anything outside that was out of the ordinary when your house was being burgled?”
- “Have you touched anything since the break-in?”
- “What items have been stolen?”
You should be prepared to answer a number of questions.
The police will then do a sweep of your house and may attempt to take any fingerprints or other pieces of evidence that could help them track down the burglar.
Afterwards, the police should be in regular contact with you during the course of the investigation so that you are always aware of any progress in the case and whether they need anything from you.
How Do I Secure My Home After A Break In?
There are many ways that you can secure your home after a burglary to ensure that this type of thing never happens again.
Here is a list of things that you can do to make your house more secure after a break in:
- Repair any windows, doors, or points of entry that are broken or damaged
- Install better locks on your doors and windows
- Install automatic lights
- Install a driveway gate
- Invest in a video doorbell
Repair Broken Windows And Doors
If any points of entry to the home were damaged or broken during the break in, these should be fixed immediately.
Leaving these as they are could put you at risk of another break in, plus a damaged entry point makes breaking into your home again that much easier.
Repairing all points of entry immediately is one of the best ways that you can re-secure your home after a burglary.
Get Better Locks
Take a look at your current locking systems on your doors and windows. If your doors and windows are old, then they may especially benefit from a new locking system.
Modern locks are much stronger and more reliable than old ones, so replacing them can greatly increase the security of your home.
In addition, getting a sliding door lock is a great deterrent. If you have one in place, burglars will no longer be able to lift the door up and over the latch (which easily unlocks it).
Use Automatic Lights
Automatic lights are great for helping to get rid of any potential nighttime burglars.
If someone is trying to do their dirty work in the dark, automatic lights may make their identity known, so they’d be more likely to stay away from your house.
Consider A Driveway Gate
If you live in a single family home, building a gate at the end of your driveway and surrounding your property with fencing can add a lot of security.
Not only will this make it harder for burglars to get onto your land, but it will also make it harder for them to take off with stolen items should a burglary occur.
Invest In A Video Doorbell
A relatively modern invention and one that adds a lot of home security is the video doorbell. These feature tiny cameras that are on watch 24/7.
Doorbells like the Ring constantly capture video of anyone that comes near your door.
If your front door was to be broken into, the burglar’s face would clearly be seen on your doorbell video.
Some video doorbells, including the Ring, even send alerts to your phone if someone appears at your door when you’re not home, and you can speak to them through a speaker to scare them away if needed.
How Likely Are Burglars To Come Back After A Break In?
Once someone’s home is broken into, they will usually take the time to educate themselves on home security.
It’s smart to do this because, while it’s unlikely that the same burglar would come back twice, other burglars may be tempted to steal from you.
However, by learning about home security and ensuring that your home is as safe as possible, you will hopefully be able to avoid any future break ins.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a number of things that you will need to do when your home is broken into.
These include calling the police, avoiding touching anything, making a note of anything that was damaged or stolen, and notifying your insurance company.
Afterwards, you’ll want to take new measures or additional steps to make your home as safe as possible. This will hopefully help you avoid another break-in in the future.
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