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It’s every family’s nightmare. You return home to see your door has been kicked in or a window broken. You can barely process what’s happened, fretting about what’s missing and the harm done to your house. What will you do? Remain calm, take a deep breath, and follow these tips after a break-in at your Des Moines home.  

Once things are under control, explore how to better prevent burglaries with the latest home security system.

Initial Steps After A Burglary

Finding your house has been broken into is traumatizing. You may be scared, angry, or simply in shock. Regardless, it’s critical to stay level-headed by doing the following: 

• Stay outside. It might be tempting to go inside to assess the situation. Don’t. There’s a possibility a burglar is still on site.
• Call law enforcement immediately.  Keep yourself and family members safely away and hold tight until help arrives. Work with the authorities to file a report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Allow officers take charge and collect evidence.  

What Should You Do Next?

You’ve filed a report with the authorities, and it’s safe to go back inside. What should happen next? 

• Cancel credit cards and notify your bank . If a burglar grabbed purses, wallets, or sensitive documents, you’ll want to notify your credit card companies and banks at once. It’s wise to lock accounts and your credit. You may also place a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Contact your insurance provider. Initiate a claim with your insurance company. This needs to be done within a day of the incident. 
• Take photos of the damage. Document broken windows, kicked-in doors, and all other obvious damage.
• Document what is missing. Make a list of what’s missing and provide it to the authorities and your insurance company.
• Secure your home. Restore your home’s security by switching out locks, fixing windows and doors, and repairing other damage. If you use a digital lock, now is the time to update your codes.

Tidying up will bring you some peace and get life back to normal. Once you do, it’s time to think about improving your home security.

Evaluate And Upgrade The Security At Your Des Moines Home

How can you keep this from occuring again? Your initial step should be to assess your home security. A new system with these devices will work wonders in better protecting your home: 

• Security cameras: Just about all would-be burglars will hesitate when they notice surveillance cameras. Modern exterior and doorbell cameras provide advanced features like smart detection. When there’s suspicious activity, you’ll be sent a notification. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (especially those on the ground floor) should be protected by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart locks and lights: These automated components can be operated from anywhere. Concerned you neglected to secure your door? You can verify and engage the lock directly from your mobile device. You can even have inside lights go on if a camera detects suspicious activity.

If you are searching for an integrated system that warns you and monitoring staff whenever a sensor or camera is set off, get a package from the home security specialists at ADT. You’ll benefit from remote access, round-the-clock monitoring, and advanced automation.

Avoid Break-Ins With The Top Home Security Systems In Des Moines

Stop intrusions at your property with an ADT home security system in Des Moines from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your authorized ADT dealer, we install the latest equipment from the most respected name in the business. Discover your options by dialing (515) 212-6493 or filling out our form today.