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It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. You arrive home to see your front door has been kicked in or a window shattered. You can hardly process what’s happened, worrying about what’s missing and the harm done to your house. What should you do? Remain calm, take a deep breath, and follow our recommendations after a break-in at your Long Island home.  

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

First Steps After A Break-In

Discovering your house has been burglarized is traumatizing. You may be scared, furious, or just in shock. Whatever the case, it’s essential to act rationally by doing the following: 

• Stay outside. It may be tempting to go inside to look around. Don’t. There’s a possibility someone is still on site.
• Call the police right away.  Keep yourself and loved ones safely away and hold tight until help arrives. Work with the authorities to make an official report. 
• Don’t touch a thing. Let officers take control and do their job.  

What Should You Do Next?

You’ve filed a report with the police, and your home is clear to re-enter. What should happen next? 

• Cancel credit cards and notify your bank . If a burglar snagged wallets, purses, or private documents, you’ll wish to notify your credit card issuers and banks right away. It’s a good idea to freeze accounts and your credit. You might also add a fraud alert with the three main credit bureaus.
• Reach out to your insurance company. Start the claims process with your insurer. You should do so within a day of the incident. 
• Record damage on camera. Document smashed windows, kicked-in doors, and any other damage you discover.
• Document what was taken. Write down what’s been stolen and provide it to the police and your Insurer.
• Secure your house. Make your home safe again by installing new locks, fixing doors and windows, and addressing remaining damage. If you have a digital lock, now is the time to reset your access codes.

Cleaning up will help ease your mind and get life back to normal. Once you do, it’s time to consider enhancing your home security.

Strengthen The Security At Your Long Island Home

What can you do to prevent another break-in from happening? Your initial step should be to evaluate your home’s security. An advanced system with these devices will go a long way to better protecting your home: 

• Security cameras: Almost all trespassers will think twice about breaking in when they notice surveillance cameras. Today’s outdoor and doorbell cameras provide advanced functionality like AI-powered smart detection. When there’s questionable activity, you’ll get a warning. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (particularly those on the ground floor) should be safeguarded by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart locks and lights: These automated components can be controlled from anywhere. Concerned you forgot to lock your door? You can verify and activate the lock from your mobile device. You can even have interior lighting switch on if a camera spots suspicious activity.

If you want an integrated system that alerts you and monitoring staff any time a device is set off, consider a package from the home security leaders at ADT. You’ll benefit from smartphone access, 24/7 monitoring, and advanced automation.

Prevent Break-Ins With The Best Home Security In Long Island

Stop break-ins from happening with an ADT home security system in Long Island from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your authorized ADT dealer, we install advanced equipment from the most respected name in the business. Learn more about your options by reaching out to (631) 213-3528 or filling out our form today.