Experiencing a burglary can be traumatic and if your property gets robbed it’s important to stay calm and follow specific steps to ensure your safety and making sure that the intruder is not inside your property and if suspect he might still be inside do not enter leave immediately and follow these steps:
Contact the Police
As soon as you are safe call the police to report the burglary and be prepared to provide them with all the information needed such as your full address, your phone number where you can be reached and as much details as possible of what have happened.
Do Not Touch Anything
Avoid touching anything in your home as the intruder may have left behind fingerprints or other evidence and you don’t want to contaminate the crime scene.
Document the Scene
Once the police say it’s okay document the scene as much as possible and take photos of any points of forced entry like broken windows or locks and areas where items are missing, this photos can be very useful for both the police investigation and insurance claims.
Make a List of Stolen Items
Create a detailed list of all stolen items including their descriptions, serial numbers and estimated value if possible as this action will be needed for the police report and your insurance claim.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Inform your insurance company about the burglary and send them the police report as soon as possible, don’t forget to mention the report number and add any documentation of the stolen items and damages to your property.
Upgrade Your Home Security
After a burglary it’s important to assess and improve your home security measures by consulting a certified locksmith and installing better locks, an alarm system, motion sensor lights and surveillance cameras will keep a way other intruders for many years to come.
Alert Your Neighbors
Inform your neighbors about the burglary as they may have seen something suspicious or could be more alert which can help prevent future incidents in your community.
Follow Up with Law Enforcement
Stay in contact with the police to get updates on the investigation and provide them with any information or evidence you might discover after they left the scene.
