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It’s every resident’s nightmare. You pull up the driveway to see your front door has been forced open or a window shattered. You can’t think straight, worrying about what’s missing and the damage to your property. What should you do? Stay calm, take a breath, and follow these steps after a break-in at your Grand Rapids home.  

Once the dust settles, see how to better prevent burglaries with an advanced security system.

First Steps After A Break-In

Discovering your house has been broken into is traumatizing. You could be scared, upset, or simply in shock. Whatever the case, it’s critical to respond rationally by doing the following: 

• Stay outside. It may be tempting to rush inside to assess the situation. Don’t. There’s a risk an intruder is still on site.
• Call the authorities immediately.  Keep yourself and loved ones at a safe spot nearby and wait for first responders. Work with the authorities to make an official report. 
• Leave everything as is. Allow officers take charge and do their job.  

What Are The Next Steps?

You’ve made an official report with the authorities, and your home is clear to re-enter. What should happen next? 

• Notify your bank and credit card issuers . If an intruder grabbed wallets, purses, or personal records, you must contact your credit card companies and banks right away. It’s wise to lock accounts and your credit. You might also place a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Contact your insurance company. Start the claims process with your insurer. You should do so within 24 hours of the break-in. 
• Take pictures of damage. Document broken windows, kicked-in doors, and all other obvious damage.
• Document what is missing. Create a record of what’s missing and provide it to law enforcement and your insurance company.
• Secure your property. Make your home safe again by installing new locks, fixing windows and doors, and taking care of other damage. If you utilize a keypad lock, now is the time to change your access codes.

Getting your home back in order will bring you some peace and get life back to normal. After you do so, it’s time to consider enhancing your home security.

Assess And Improve The Security At Your Grand Rapids Home

How can you keep this from occuring again? Your starting point should be to take stock of your home’s security. An advanced system with the following equipment will work wonders in keeping your home safe: 

• Security cameras: Just about every prowler will think twice about breaking in when they notice surveillance cameras. Newer exterior and doorbell cameras give you advanced functionality like AI-driven smart detection. Any time there’s unusual activity, you’ll receive a notification. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (particularly those on the ground floor) should be protected by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart locks and lighting: These automated components can be operated from anywhere. Worried you neglected to lock up? You can check and activate the lock from your mobile device. You can even have inside lights turn on if a camera detects suspicious activity.

If you are searching for an integrated system that warns you and monitoring representatives any time a camera or sensor is triggered, look into a package from the home security leaders at ADT. You’ll benefit from mobile access, 24/7 monitoring, and advanced automation.

Avoid Break-Ins With The Top Home Security Systems In Grand Rapids

Stop burglaries at your property with an ADT home security package in Grand Rapids from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your trusted ADT dealer, we install modern equipment from the industry leader. Discover your options by calling (616) 207-3771 or filling out our form today.