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It’s every family’s nightmare. You pull up the driveway to see your door has been kicked in or a window broken. You can’t think straight, fretting about what’s missing and the damage to your home. What should you do? Stay calm, take a breath, and follow our recommendations after a break-in at your San Bernadino home.  

Once things are under control, learn how to better prevent intrusions with a modern security system.

Initial Steps After A Break-In

Finding your house has been burglarized is traumatizing. You might be furious, shaken, or just in disbelief. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s essential to act rationally by doing the following: 

• Don’t go inside. It could be tempting to run inside to see what happened. Don’t. There’s a chance a burglar is still there.
• Call law enforcement at once.  Keep yourself and others at a safe distance and hold tight until first responders arrive. Work with the authorities to make an official report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Let the police secure the premises and gather evidence.  

What Are The Next Steps?

You’ve conversed with the police, and your home is safe to re-enter. What are the next steps? 

• Cancel credit cards and alert your bank . If an intruder snagged wallets, purses, or sensitive information, you’ll wish to notify your credit card companies and banks right away. It’s a good idea to lock accounts and your credit. You can also request a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus.
• Reach out to your insurance provider. File a claim with your insurer. This needs to be done within one day of the burglary. 
• Take photos of the damage. Document smashed windows, kicked-in doors, and anything else that’s been damaged.
• Document what was taken. Write down what’s been stolen and provide it to law enforcement and your insurance company.
• Secure your home. Restore your home’s security by replacing locks, fixing doors and windows, and addressing remaining damage. If you utilize a keypad lock system, now is the time to update your access codes.

Cleaning up will do wonders for your stress and make things feel normal. After you do so, it’s time to consider improving your home security.

Evaluate And Upgrade Your San Bernadino Home’s Security

How can you keep this from occuring again? Your starting point should be to take stock of your home security. An advanced system with these tools will go a long way to keeping your home safe: 

• Surveillance cameras: Almost every would-be burglar will think twice about breaking in when they notice surveillance cameras. Newer outdoor and doorbell cameras provide advanced functionality like AI-powered smart detection. Whenever there’s suspicious activity, you’ll be sent an alert. 
• Access-point sensors: All doors and windows (specifically those on the lower level) should be protected by contact or glass-break sensors.
• Smart locks and lights: These automated tools can be operated from anywhere. Worried you forgot to lock up? You can check and engage the lock directly from your smartphone. You can even have interior lighting turn on if a camera detects an unwanted guest.

If you want a modern system that notifies you and monitoring representatives whenever a camera or sensor is set off, get a package from ADT, your home security experts. You’ll benefit from smartphone access, 24-hour monitoring, and advanced automation.

Avoid Break-Ins With The Best Home Security In San Bernadino

Stop burglaries before they happen with an ADT home security package in San Bernadino from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your trusted ADT dealer, we install modern equipment from the most respected name in the business. Learn more about your options by calling (909) 247-3368 or completing our form today.