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According to FBI statistics, there are approximately 6,000 burglaries every day across the United States. That equates to a little more than 14 every second. What's more, if you live in a major metropolitan area you are likely to be the victim of a burglary at least once in your life. So what do you do if you come home to find your house has been burglarized? We have listed below a systematic guide explaining what you need to do. The first thing however, is to remember not to panic. The only thing panic does is make a bad situation worse. 1. Entering the Home - If you arrive home to find a door ajar or a window broken, do not enter. If the burglar is still inside your home, you could surprise him and cause him to panic. If you only discover a burglary once you are inside, it is still important to leave immediately. Go to a neighbor's house to call the police or use your cell phone from the street. 2. Cooperate with Police the - When you contact the 911 center be sure to give the dispatcher as much detail as he or she is asking for. While you are waiting for the police to arrive look around for anything unusual, documenting anything suspicious with your camera phone or by writing it down. When police do arrive, cooperate with them in filling out the report and describing anything you observed. 3. Document Losses - The police will clear your home to make sure it is safe before they leave. Afterwards you need to get busy right away documenting your losses. You can do so by using a digital camera and pen and paper. You will need this information for the final step. 4. File Your Insurance Claim - It is always a good idea to file your insurance claim within 24 hours of a burglary. Your insurance company will ask you for a copy of the police report as well as your documented losses; make sure you furnish the required information as quickly as possible. Alarm System and Home Monitoring If your home was burglarized despite the fact that you have alarm system, be careful not to immediately blame your home security company. Contact them on the phone and explain what happened, then work with them to determine what went wrong. There are a couple of possibilities: • your security system worked perfectly but it did not frighten the burglar off • your security system completely malfunctioned • your security system was not armed when the burglary occurred While a home security system is generally a deterrent, some burgers are not fazed by it because they can be in and out in less than five minutes. For those types of burglars, you need to make it as difficult for them to get in your house as possible. In the event of a malfunctioning system your alarm company needs to come out and give the entire system the once over. An experienced technician should be able to quickly diagnose the problem and get it fixed. As for a system that was unarmed at the time of the burglary, it needs to be determined why that happened. Did someone forget to arm the system before leaving the house? Did the burglar cut power and phone lines? Are there some other circumstances that could have led to an unarmed system? The most important thing to remember about a burglary is not to let it ruin your life. Things happen. As long as no one was hurt, there is plenty to be thankful for. Things can always be replaced; your family members cannot be. Over 800,000 customers trust Monitronics Home Security to protect their lives and property every day because we are experts in residential home security systems.
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