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Arriving home to find that your home has been burglarized is one of the worst feelings someone can have. You’re left feeling raw, vulnerable, and angry. In this time of high stress, it may be hard to put your thoughts together to remember everything that now needs to be done. We have put together a list of what to do if someone breaks into your house and hopefully help make things easier in the unfortunate case that you fall victim to property crimes.

Immediately Leave the House and Call 911

The criminal may still be in your home and may attack you or your loved ones if confronted. Safety should be your number one priority, so be sure to leave your home until law enforcement can verify that it is safe to reenter.

Put yourself and your family in a locked car or in a neighbor’s home. Once you are safely outside of your home, call emergency services. You do not have to know what items were stolen before you call the police.

Don’t Touch Anything

Officers may be able to find fingerprints or other evidence left behind by the perpetrator. By touching anything in your home, you are potentially erasing delicate fingerprints that could be used to find the person responsible for the burglary.

Take Inventory of Your Valuables

Once police have allowed you back into your home, go through your house room by room and take stock of any items that may be missing or property that is damaged. You will need a complete list of this to provide to the authorities and your insurance company. Try to take note of any makes, models, or serial numbers from any items missing or damaged if available.

This is also the time when you should take photos of any damage or missing items. You can also take video footage. These files may be useful to share with your insurance company or for your records.

Make Calls

Call your insurance company to submit a claim. Some companies will send a claim adjustor to look at your home, which will need to happen before you clean up. Other insurance companies require a call to be placed within 24 hours of the burglary happening, so it is very important to prioritize this.

Depending on what was stolen, you may need to replace items in your house or in your wallet. If any financial information has been taken, call your bank immediately to have them freeze the affected accounts and monitor activity.

If a passport or driver’s license was taken, you will need to apply for replacements and report them as stolen.

Clean Up

Go through your home thoroughly and try to put everything back where it was. Ask friends and family for support, as cleaning up the mess of a burglar may be upsetting for you. Be vigilant and keep an eye out for anything unfamiliar, as something may have been left behind by the criminal. If you do find something unusual, call the officers working your case and let them know that you may have found evidence. Be sure not to touch it before law enforcement can collect any suspicious items.

Protect Your Home

While there is no absolute guarantee that your home will not be another victim of property crime, you can take steps to prevent it from happening again. Evaluate the safety of your home and research residential security options. Contact security experts at a reputable local security company, such as FSS Technologies, that can put your fears at ease.

Having your home broken into can be a challenging and confusing point in your life but following the steps above can allow you to start on the right path to rebuilding your safe haven. Our team at FSS Technologies can help you find the right home security system to fit your needs and budget. Call today to speak with one of our security experts.