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It’s every resident’s nightmare. You return home and find your door is wide open or a window smashed. You can’t think straight, stressing about what’s been taken and the damage to your house. What can you do? Remain calm, take a deep breath, and follow these steps after a break-in at your Dothan home.  

When things get back to normal, see how to better prevent intrusions with the latest home security system.

First Steps After A Burglary

Seeing your house burglarized is traumatic. You could be angry, frightened, or just in disbelief. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s important to stay level-headed by doing the following: 

• Do not enter. It could be tempting to run inside to see what happened. Don’t. There’s a chance someone is still on site.
• Contact the police immediately.  Keep yourself and others at a safe distance and wait for first responders. Work with law enforcement to file a report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Allow officers take over and gather evidence.  

What Are The Next Steps?

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

• Alert your bank and credit card issuers . If an intruder stole sensitive documents, purses, or wallets, you’ll want to notify your credit card companies and banks at once. It’s smart to put a hold on accounts and your credit. You might also add a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Call your insurance company. Start the claims process with your insurance provider. This should be done within 24 hours of the burglary. 
• Take photos of the damage. Document broken windows, forced doors, and all other obvious damage.
• Inventory stolen goods. Create a record of what’s been stolen and provide it to law enforcement and your insurance company.
• Secure your property. Restore your home’s security by switching out locks, fixing windows and doors, and addressing remaining damage. If you have a keypad lock system, now is the time to reset your codes.

Tidying up will bring you some peace and make things feel normal. After you’re done, it’s time to start thinking upgrading your home security.

Evaluate And Upgrade The Security At Your Dothan Home

How can you keep this from happening again? Your first step should be to assess your home’s security. A new system with the following equipment will go a long way to better protecting your home: 

• Security cameras: Nearly every would-be burglar will think twice about breaking in when they see surveillance cameras. Today’s exterior and doorbell cameras offer advanced capabilities like smart detection. When there’s suspicious activity, you’ll receive a warning. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (particularly those on the ground level) should be safeguarded by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart locks and lighting: These automated tools can be operated from anywhere. Are you worried you forgot to lock your door? You can check and activate the lock from your smartphone. You can even have inside lights switch on if a camera discovers suspicious activity.

If you are searching for an integrated system that alerts you and monitoring representatives any time a camera or sensor is set off, consider a package from the home security specialists at ADT. You’ll benefit from remote access, 24-hour monitoring, and custom automation.

Stop Break-Ins With The Leading Home Security Systems In Dothan

Stop burglaries at your property with an ADT home security system in Dothan from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As an authorized ADT dealer, we install the latest equipment from the industry leader. Explore your options by calling (334) 219-8334 or submitting our form today.