After a Break In: Worries, Concerns, and What to do About It

You may be worried about preventing a break in, but have you ever thought about what you need to do if a break in does occur despite any security measures you put up? While a security system significantly reduces the chances of a break in, it does not eliminate them, and you really should be aware of what you should do in the event of an actual break in.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you should not panic. You need to be thinking clearly in order to avoid making a potentially costly mistake. If you wake up at home to discover that a burglar is in your home, you should stay where you are. Try to determine if the burglar can escape back outside without actually crossing your path. If you believe they can, then make some noise, enough noise for them to hear you and alert them to your presence in the house. One good way to do this is calling the police, but make sure you do so in as noisily as possible so that the burglar is aware that you are calling the police. Most burglars will simply run in this scenario since there should be a clear way for them to exit unimpeded. It is better to let them run than to put your life in danger trying to confront them.

If you come home to find that someone has broken into your house, there are very different steps that you should follow. First, pay close attention to your surroundings, but don’t touch anything. Try to make a note of anything out of place or anything that could lead to a clue to catch the robber, but don’t linger. Do this as you are following the second step. Second, if you have not yet entered your home, don’t. If you have, then quietly and quickly go outside. There is the possibility that the burglar is still inside, and if he is, making your presence known at the exit of the house might cause the burglar to attack you out of desperation in an attempt to escape. At this point, you should immediately call the police and explain that it appears that someone has broken into your house. If you have access to pen and paper, write down everything you can remember or that you can see from outside that could lead to a clue. Be sure to wait in a safe place for the police to arrive.

Being able to properly report the incident properly to the police is a major concern at this point. Tell them what happened as best as you can remember, and try to point out anything that the burglar may have touched, because that can lead to DNA or fingerprint evidence, some of the most powerful tools for identifying a thief available. Before the police leave, if they haven’t already given you a crime reference number or something similar to it, ask for one. You’ll need it for reporting the incident to your insurance company. When you contact your insurance company for reporting the incident to them, be sure to include the crime reference number. Furthermore, if you haven’t had a chance to take a thorough look to make sure that you know exactly what was stolen, you need to let the insurance company know that you may need to add more items at a later date. If you fail to notify them of this and you later discover more missing items, they may or may not allow you to include the additional stolen items in your claim.

Ideally, a burglar never actually makes it in your home, and a variety of theft prevention measures can significantly reduce the chances of a burglar getting that far, but it is most likely still possible. As with many things in life, you should protect yourself and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.