Losing your sense of security and privacy during a home invasion is more traumatic than losing your possessions. You could feel scared, furious, and violated following a break-in or home invasion. However, things don’t have to remain this way forever. Recovery is within reach when you take the necessary actions to regain your sense of security and locate your stolen property.
1. Ensure everyone’s safety
After the break-in, the first thing to do is ensure everyone is secure. Even though burglars typically target empty homes, someone might have been home at the time. Verify with family members, partners, or roommates who might have been there when the intruder entered. Make sure they aren’t hurt; if they are, seek medical help.
Stay with them and listen to what they have to say about the terrible occurrence, even if they are physically secure. This will reassure them and provide you with crucial information for a police complaint.
2. Record ideas and take photos
Focusing after experiencing the horror of a home invasion is difficult. However, recording the time, date, and specifics of the break-in might either speed up the police’s ability to recover your belongings or result in an arrest. Get some information before you ask for assistance. Start by documenting any home damage with photos. A forced entry may leave behind broken locks, broken glass, or any furniture or other items that have been damaged.
Please make a note of anything missing and calculate its value. Even while items like heirlooms would be challenging to replace, you might be able to receive money for their value.
- Make an inventoryIdeally, you had a list of your assets before you experienced a break-in. If not, though, this is the time to put one together. Record your possessions and include any images, appraisals, or other details to help determine a reasonable replacement cost.
3. File a report with the police and insurance
Call the police once you have all the information. Giving the police details like dates, hours, lists of the things taken, and pictures of the site or the stolen objects will help the investigation. If there have been previous break-ins in your neighbourhood, this information also aids authorities in piecing together occurrences. The more information you provide, the better the outcome because the police are here to assist you.
The authorities will review the details after filing a police report. Photos, timings, and any other information you may provide to law enforcement are essential. You might hear from the police for more information if a violent crime was involved.
4. Talk about it
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and other consequences might take time to manifest after the trauma of a home burglary.
Processing something as horrific as a break-in takes time. You might think that your personal space and privacy have been invaded. Perhaps even feeling uncomfortable at home. Discuss the fear and memories with friends and medical specialists to begin the healing process.
- Remain with family or friendsStay with friends or family for a few nights if you aren’t at ease in your own house. Although it won’t fix the issue, it’s a significant first step in organising your thoughts and maintaining a secure environment to discuss them.
- Look for counsellingFind out if you can access mental health coverage by contacting your insurance company or employee help programmes. Additionally, grief or trauma counselling is available for a discounted price over the phone and online. You can process the psychological effects of the encounter with the aid of a trained counsellor.
5. Prevent another incident
Taking steps to avoid another incident is a necessary part of the healing process. After the incident, you might feel safer if you improve your home security. You may relax knowing that you are ready and secure.
Make your house appear occupied, even if it isn’t, because burglars don’t want to be discovered. Burglars typically enter during the day, when families are at work, school, or on vacation. Outsmart the bad guys by using strategies like smart home tools to keep the TV or lights on while you are away to make your home appear occupied.
- Upgrade your doors and locksBy strengthening your doors and locks, you can deter forced and unauthorised intrusions. Replace your locks with smart locks or fortify the door by adding a deadbolt. A heavy security door that is more difficult to kick in or out can also replace the existing door.
- Install a security system, camera, or sensorsInstall updated security and monitoring technology to monitor who comes and goes from your home. You don’t need to make your house a fortress to feel safer; adding only an outdoor camera or a few sensors will suffice for smaller homes.
A complete home security system may also be sufficient to deter potential burglars. They are equipped with enough sensors to cover each entrance to your property and loud sirens to prevent burglars from breaking into your home. With the most excellent security systems, you can monitor your home, whether you are there or not, by connecting them to a phone app. If you decide to use a security system, get one that includes expert monitoring for an added measure of protection.
Your system is connected to a centre of skilled professionals through professional monitoring, which enables you to respond to emergencies like break-ins, fires, and medical crises. They can talk you through the emergency if you panic and immediately connect you with first responders.
Have a look at 5 Simple Home Security Measures You Can Implement Today.
