The home is meant to be your safe haven, so when it is broken into it can be quite a traumatizing event. Most home burglaries occur out of pure opportunity and not necessarily anything that you have done as a homeowner. Still, if you are unsure of what to do after a home break-in, read further.
Being a victim of a burglary can make you feel angry and helpless, but remember to breathe, stay calm, and protect yourself at all costs. These three steps are the most important to take immediately after your home is broken into.
Walk Away
Coming home to notice that your front door or windows have been kicked in might make you want to storm in to find out what happened. The chances of you running into the thief is too high, so the first thing you must do is walk away. Immediately go next door to a friendly neighbor and call the police.
If there is still someone in the house, you don’t want to risk your personal safety by confronting them. Wait for the proper authorities to arrive and perform a security sweep before you or your family enters the home again. You also want to keep the house free from any movement until the police have collected the evidence they need, otherwise, you may disrupt important information.
Replace Locks and Upgrade Security
If someone was able to break in once, they will be able to do it again. Perhaps you had a faulty lock that was easily opened, or your windows don’t have burglar bars. Whatever the case, now is the time to upgrade your security. First of all, change all of the locks. Don’t just get new ones but look for higher-quality locks that are harder to pick.
The critical part here is that you are protected. If your doors or windows are broken then you are more vulnerable, so call a locksmith immediately. If you live in Los Angeles, a local firm such as LALA Locksmiths should be on your speed dial. Offering 24/7 emergency callout services, LALA Locksmiths can help with any lock repairs, installations, or lockpicking needs to get back into your home.
Notify Insurance
Every homeowner knows the importance of insurance for your valuable items. As well as theft, homeowners’ insurance also protects your home from natural disasters. Even the smallest items in your home can be covered by different insurance options. If your premiums are up to date, then you will receive financial assistance to replace those items that were stolen.
For electronic devices, most insurance companies offer tracking services so if you have these, it’s best to try to locate your stolen items. Don’t panic if you don’t know the value of your lost items, as the insurance company will value the items based on current market value so you should receive enough money to replace the items.
Once you have experienced a burglary you will start to learn preventative methods to avoid these things happening again in the future. Dealing with burglaries can cause sleepless nights, but if you know how to handle these events you can rest a bit easier.
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