What to Do If You Have a Break In

Break ins can be incredibly frightening to any household and can actually rob home dwellers of their personal feelings of safety and security. What once felt like a comfortable and inviting home can suddenly start to feel like an unsecured and dangerous area. If you or a loved one has recently been burglarized, cleaning up the mess that was left behind can seem daunting. The task of restoring and securing your home is trying, but rewarding. Here are 8 things to do if you have a break in and need to restore a home environment. 

File a police report.

Naturally, the first step to complete after a home robbery is to file a police report. The police need to know that a robbery has taken place and that a criminal needs to be found. Try to file the police report as soon as possible after the robbery has occurred. This will ensure that the details of the robbery are fresh and that you are able to convey as much information as possible to police detectives. Filing a police report also gives a basic starting point for all proceedings that occur after the home burglary. 

Review any available surveillance footage.

If video surveillance was available in your home, be sure to review the footage and to turn a copy of it over to the police department. Surveillance footage can be useful because it often shows exactly what items were stolen and can show the thief’s motivation for entering the home illegally. Surveillance footage can also show the theif’s mode of entrance into the home, which can help secure the home against future attacks. 

Make arrangements with your bank and credit card companies. 

It is vital to make a phone call or pay a visit to your bank’s local branch after a robbery to ensure that your accounts are secure and that your information is secure. Because credit and debit cards can be cancelled so quickly, thieves will also rack up charges within the first 24 hours after the theft. This tendency can lead police to the thief’s location, so be sure that your bank information is available to the department. 

Meet with your home or apartment insurance provider.

Filing claims with your home or apartment insurance provider is essential to recovering a sense of home for yourself and your family. Most insurance clauses have a contingency for home invasion, so you will possibly be able to retain the value of any property lost or stolen during the burglary.