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It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. You pull in the driveway and find your door has been forced open or a window smashed. You can’t think straight, stressing about what’s been stolen and the harm done to your property. What can you do? Remain calm, take a deep breath, and follow our recommendations after a break-in at your Olympia home.  

When things calm down, see how to better prevent break-ins with the latest home security system.

Initial Steps After A Break-In

Seeing your house burglarized is traumatizing. You could be furious, shaken, or simply in disbelief. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s important to act rationally by doing the following: 

• Stay outside. It’s only natural that you want to go inside to look around. Don’t. There’s a possibility a burglar is still inside.
• Contact the police right away.  Keep yourself and family members at a safe distance and wait for first responders. Work with the police to make an official report. 
• Don’t touch a thing. Let the police secure the area and gather evidence.  

What Are The Next Steps?

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

• Cancel credit cards and notify your bank . If a burglar grabbed wallets, purses, or private documents, you’ll wish to alert your credit card issuers and banks right away. It’s smart to freeze accounts and your credit. You can also request a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Contact your insurance company. File a claim with your insurance provider. This needs to be done within 24 hours of the burglary. 
• Take pictures of damage. Document shattered windows, kicked-in doors, and any other damage you see.
• Inventory stolen goods. Make a list of what’s been stolen and provide it to the authorities and your insurance company.
• Secure your house. Make your home safe again by switching out locks, fixing doors and windows, and taking care of other damage. If you have a keypad lock system, now is the time to update your codes.

Getting your home back in order will help ease your mind and make things feel normal. Once you do, it’s time to consider improving your home security.

Evaluate And Upgrade The Security At Your Olympia Home

How can you keep this from occuring again? Your initial step should be to take stock of your home security. A new system with the following equipment will go a long way to keeping your home safe: 

• Surveillance cameras: Nearly all would-be burglars will hesitate when they notice surveillance cameras. Today’s exterior and doorbell cameras offer advanced functionality like AI-powered smart detection. Any time there’s questionable activity, you’ll get an alert. 
• Access-point sensors: All doors and windows (especially those on the lower level) should be safeguarded by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart lights and locks: These automated devices can be operated from anywhere. Are you worried you forgot to lock your door? You can confirm and engage the lock from your phone. You can even have inside lighting switch on if a camera spots an unwanted guest.

If you are looking for an integrated system that notifies you and monitoring representatives whenever a sensor or camera is triggered, look into a package from ADT, your home security professionals. You’ll enjoy the mobile access, round-the-clock monitoring, and custom automation.

Prevent Break-Ins With The Top Home Security Systems In Olympia

Stop burglaries from happening with an ADT home security system in Olympia from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your trusted ADT dealer, we install advanced equipment from the industry leader. Learn more about your options by calling (360) 200-8536 or submitting our form today.