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It’s every resident’s nightmare. You return home to see your door has been forced open or a window shattered. You can’t think straight, fretting about what’s been taken and the damage to your home. What can you do? Remain calm, take a deep breath, and follow these tips after a break-in at your Hagerstown home.  

Once the dust settles, see how to better prevent break-ins with a modern security system.

Immediate Steps After A Burglary

Seeing your house burglarized is unsettling. You might be furious, frightened, or just in shock. Whatever the case, it’s critical to stay level-headed by doing the following: 

• Stay outside. It’s not surprising that you want to go inside to see what happened. Don’t. There’s a risk a burglar is still inside.
• Contact the police at once.  Keep yourself and family members at a safe distance and wait until help gets there. Work with law enforcement to file a report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Let officers take over and collect evidence.  

What Do You Do Next?

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

• Cancel credit cards and notify your bank . If an intruder grabbed purses, wallets, or sensitive documents, you’ll want to alert your credit card issuers and banks right away. It’s smart to freeze accounts and your credit. You can also add a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Reach out to your insurance provider. Start the claims process with your insurance provider. This should be done within 24 hours of the incident. 
• Take photos of the damage. Document broken windows, kicked-in doors, and any other damage you discover.
• Document what is missing. Write down what’s gone and provide it to the authorities and your Insurer.
• Secure your home. Restore your home’s security by switching out locks, fixing windows and doors, and addressing remaining damage. If you use a keypad lock, now is the time to reset your codes.

Cleaning up will bring you some peace and restore a sense of normalcy. After you’re done, it’s time to consider upgrading your home security.

Strengthen The Security At Your Hagerstown Home

What should you do to prevent another burglary from occurring? Your initial step should be to take stock of your home’s security. A new system with these devices will work wonders in keeping your home safe: 

• Surveillance cameras: Just about all trespassers will hesitate when they see security cameras. Today’s outdoor and doorbell cameras provide advanced features like AI-powered smart detection. Any time there’s unusual activity, you’ll be sent an alert. 
• Access-point sensors: All doors and windows (especially those on the lower level) should be safeguarded by contact or glass-break sensors.
• Smart locks and lights: These automated components can be operated from anywhere. Concerned you neglected to secure your door? You can check and activate the lock directly from your mobile device. You can even have interior lights switch on if a camera spots suspicious activity.

If you want a connected system that notifies you and monitoring agents whenever a device is triggered, look into a package from the home security specialists at ADT. You’ll enjoy the remote access, round-the-clock monitoring, and custom automation.

Avoid Break-Ins With The Top Home Security Systems In Hagerstown

Stop break-ins before they happen with an ADT home security system in Hagerstown from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your trusted ADT dealer, we install the latest equipment from the top name in the business. Learn more about your options by reaching out to (301) 288-1501 or completing our form today.