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It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. You pull in the driveway and find your door has been kicked in or a window broken. You can hardly process what’s happened, fretting about what’s been stolen and the damage to your property. What should you do? Take a breath, stay calm, and follow these tips after a break-in at your Reno home.  

When you’re ready, explore how to better prevent burglaries with the latest home security system.

Initial Steps After A Burglary

Discovering your house has been burglarized is unsettling. You may be scared, angry, or just in shock. Regardless, it’s important to act rationally by doing the following: 

• Do not enter. It could be tempting to go inside to see what happened. Don’t. There’s a possibility an intruder is still inside.
• Contact the authorities immediately.  Keep yourself and family members safely away and wait until help arrives. Work with the police to make an official report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Let the police secure the premises and gather evidence.  

What Are The Next Steps?

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

• Notify your bank and credit card issuers . If an intruder stole wallets, purses, or private documents, you’ll wish to alert your credit card issuers and banks at once. It’s wise to lock accounts and your credit. You can also request a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus.
• Reach out to your insurer. File a claim with your insurance company. You should do so within 24 hours of the burglary. 
• Take pictures of damage. Document shattered windows, forced doors, and all other visible damage.
• Document what is missing. Write down what’s been stolen and provide it to the police and your insurance provider.
• Secure your home. Get your home secured by installing new locks, fixing windows and doors, and taking care of other damage. If you use a keypad lock system, now is the time to reset your access codes.

Getting your home back in order will help ease your mind and make things feel normal. After you do so, it’s time to think about upgrading your home security.

Evaluate And Upgrade Your Reno Home’s Security

What can you do to prevent another intrusion from happening? Your first step should be to assess your home security. An advanced system with these devices will go a long way to keeping your home safe: 

• Video cameras: Nearly every trespasser will think twice about breaking in when they see video cameras. Newer outdoor and doorbell cameras give you advanced features like smart detection. Any time there’s unusual activity, you’ll receive a notification. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (specifically those on the ground level) should be shielded by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart locks and lighting: These automated components can be operated from anywhere. Are you worried you didn’t lock up? You can confirm and operate the lock directly from your mobile device. You can even have inside lights switch on if a camera spots someone lurking.

If you are searching for a connected system that alerts you and monitoring agents whenever a camera or sensor is triggered, look into a package from ADT, your home security leaders. You’ll appreciate the remote access, round-the-clock monitoring, and advanced automation.

Avoid Break-Ins With The Leading Home Security Systems In Reno

Stop burglaries before they happen with an ADT home security package in Reno from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your trusted ADT dealer, we install modern equipment from the industry leader. Learn more about your options by calling (775) 316-7001 or submitting our form today.