Coming home to realize you’ve been robbed can be a scary and frustrating experience. It’s hard to know how to react after you’ve felt your safety has been violated and your possessions compromised. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to hopefully help catch the person who burglarized you and prevent them from doing it again.
The first thing to do is leave your home and call 911. You may have the urge to immediately search the rooms to see what’s been taken, but don’t risk the chance that the burglar is still in your home. After the police arrive, they will do a search of your place and take a report. You want to make sure to not touch anything as to not disrupt fingerprints potentially left at the scene. It’s best to stay out of the way while the police work and answer any questions they have.
If you or one of your family members did by chance see the person fleeing from your home, make sure you can be as descriptive as possible to the police. They will ask the sex of the person, hair color, build, and other distinguishing factors. Try to remember as much as possible to help them create a character sketch of the burglar. Any information that you can provide will help investigators. What was the person wearing? Did they have a limp? Any visible tattoos? These kind of characteristics help create a better picture for the police.
Make sure not to return to your home until the police have arrived. Head to a trusted neighbor’s house or stay in your locked vehicle. Be observant of any suspicious looking vehicles or people around the neighborhood. Take down license plate numbers, if you can and make any notes of anything that looks out of place. Again, the information you provide, while it may seem unimportant at the time, could be useful later on.
After the police have left, you’ll need to take an inventory of what’s missing to file a claim with your insurance. The officer will leave you a report number, which you can provide to your insurance provider. They will ask a series of questions including if there was any property damage from the person breaking into your home. Be as detailed as possible and take photos of everything that relates to the robbery. You most likely will still be shaken up from the chain of events, but try to do this as soon as possible after the police have come to your home. You’ll be able to remember more and the insurance company can file a claim right away.
While locked doors and closed windows may have seemed safe enough, it is a good idea to look into a home security system that will alert a security company and 911 if something like this should happen again. Even installing motion sensor detectors can be a good preventative tool while you research options for your home. You should also be sure to have a sign made for your front lawn that states that you have a security system. You can easily get one made at eSigns.com. If you do choose to keep firearms in your house, please be sure to be educated and make sure your kids are also educated about gun safety.
If there is anything new that pops up in the days to come, make sure to share it with the police. Leave it to them to handle the case and don’t try to investigate the criminal activity yourself. Just be on the lookout for any unusual activity in the neighborhood and keep an eye on Craigslist for the next few days as burglars might try to sell stolen goods.
It may be difficult to resume normalcy after an ordeal like this has occurred. Give yourself time and don’t be afraid to call on friends and family to come over and help put your house back in order, since it can be emotionally exhausting and stressful to have to relive it. If you live by yourself, accept invitations of people who want to stay with you for the next few days. Installing a security system will be the first step in order to protect your home and allow yourself peace of mind, but it is a traumatizing event and you should allow yourself ample time to recover.
