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It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. You arrive home and find your door is wide open or a window broken. You can barely process what’s happened, worrying about what’s missing and the harm done to your house. What can you do? Take a breath, stay calm, and follow these tips after a break-in at your Columbia home.  

When things calm down, learn how to better prevent intrusions with the latest home security system.

Immediate Steps After A Break-In

Finding your house has been burglarized is traumatizing. You may be furious, shaken, or just in disbelief. Whatever the case, it’s critical to act rationally by doing the following: 

• Don’t go inside. It may be tempting to run inside to assess the situation. Don’t. There’s a risk an intruder is still inside.
• Contact the authorities right away.  Keep yourself and others at a safe spot nearby and wait until first responders arrive. Work with the authorities to file a report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Let the police secure the premises and collect evidence.  

What Do You Do Next?

You’ve filed a report with the authorities, and your home is safe to re-enter. What should you do next? 

• Cancel credit cards and call banks . If an intruder grabbed wallets, purses, or personal records, you’ll wish to alert your credit card companies and banks at once. It’s smart to lock accounts and your credit. You may also request a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Contact your insurer. File a claim with your insurer. This needs to be done within a day of the burglary. 
• Take photos of the damage. Document broken windows, forced doors, and anything else that’s been damaged.
• Document what was taken. Make a list of what’s missing and provide it to the police and your Insurer.
• Secure your property. Restore your home’s security by replacing locks, fixing doors and windows, and repairing other damage. If you utilize a keypad lock system, now is the time to reset your codes.

Cleaning up will do wonders for your stress and get life back to normal. After you do so, it’s time to think about enhancing your home security.

Assess And Improve Your Columbia Home’s Security

What should you do to prevent another intrusion from taking place? Your initial step should be to take stock of your home security. A modern system with these devices will go a long way to better protecting your home: 

• Security cameras: Just about all trespassers will hesitate when they notice security cameras. Today’s exterior and doorbell cameras offer advanced functionality like smart detection. When there’s questionable activity, you’ll be sent a warning. 
• Access-point sensors: All doors and windows (specifically those on the ground floor) should be protected by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart locks and lights: These automated components can be controlled from anywhere. Worried you neglected to lock up? You can check and operate the lock right from your smartphone. You can even have inside lighting go on if a camera spots an unwanted guest.

If you are searching for an integrated system that notifies you and monitoring staff whenever a camera or sensor is triggered, consider a package from ADT, your home security experts. You’ll enjoy the remote access, 24-hour monitoring, and custom automation.

Stop Break-Ins With The Best Home Security In Columbia

Stop intrusions at your property with an ADT home security package in Columbia from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As an authorized ADT dealer, we install modern equipment from the most respected name in the business. Explore your options by reaching out to (803) 380-6011 or filling out our form today.