Blog Post

After burglary repairs and process

Simon G • October 7, 2018

A short list of things to do if you have been burgled

With the summer holidays upon us many are leaving their homes to explore foreign shores and enjoy a bit of family time. This means that we leave our homes and rely on our homes security to protect all our valuables and possessions. Sometimes the security isn't enough to keep the bad guys out and they manage to break in, causing distress and many times leaving a mess once they're gone.
During the stress of the situation where you have found your home burgled it is easy to forget the basics of "what to do", this is why we have composed a short list that once completed should leave you feeling safer and end the stress.

1 - Phone the police.
We know it seems obvious but sometimes in the rush of coming home and the adrenaline of discovering this is forgotten. This should be the first thing on your list, especially if you suspect that someone may be in the property. If you suspect that someone is in the property immediately call the police and do not enter.

2 - Call a locksmith.
This may be even before the police have arrived. This is the best policy to adopt and will ultimately assist the police if they need to break into the property to ascertain if the burglars are still inside. Should the doors be locked and damaged the locksmith will have the necessary tools and knowledge to gain access quickly without causing damage to the door. Often emergency services don't attempt breaking in lightly and just smash the door. This will result in a larger bill to pay for and probably take longer than a professional locksmith.

3 - Don't touch anything
Whether the burglars are inside or not, if the police haven't arrived do your best not to touch anything. If the locksmith has arrived before the police have managed to do their forensic work he will use gloves and do his best to not contaminate the area. Obviously it is best if the police manage to do their tests first this way all the fingerprints on the door will be clear.
This includes items all round the house, fridge, toilet doors and anything that the burglars may have touched.

4 - Inventory check
We know this seems obvious but it's often forgotten in the heat of the moment. Taking a slow walk from room to room without touching anything and just taking a mental note of what has been moved and what may have been moved. We are often very familiar with our household items and notice when things have been moved around. This is where that instinct is best served, if it helps to write it down that would probably be best as the insurance company will ask for it, as will the police .

5 - Contact your insurance company and any banks if cards are missing.
This includes all mobile phone companies if phones are missing. For all these you will need to either cut off the account temporarily or just notify them of the burglary so they can make adjustments. The insurance company will most likely ask for the report number from the police which is why our first tip was to call the police.

If you have any questions regarding your security and are wondering whether it's easy to break into your property please feel free to contacta local locksmith near me/ you

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