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It’s every family’s nightmare. You pull in the driveway to see your door has been forced open or a window shattered. You can barely process what’s happened, worrying about what’s missing and the damage to your home. What can you do? Take a breath, stay calm, and follow these steps after a break-in at your Orange County home.  

Once things are under control, learn how to better prevent break-ins with an advanced security system.

First Steps After A Break-In

Seeing your house broken into is traumatic. You may be furious, scared, or simply in disbelief. Regardless, it’s important to respond rationally by doing the following: 

• Stay outside. It’s not surprising that you want to go inside to assess the situation. Don’t. There’s a possibility an intruder is still on site.
• Call law enforcement immediately.  Keep yourself and loved ones at a safe spot nearby and wait for emergency professionals. Work with the police to make an official report. 
• Avoid touching anything. Let the police secure the area and gather evidence.  

What Do You Do Next?

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

• Cancel credit cards and alert your bank . If an intruder stole wallets, purses, or personal records, you’ll wish to alert your credit card issuers and banks right away. It’s wise to freeze accounts and your credit. You can also request a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Call your insurance provider. Start the claims process with your insurer. This should be done within one day of the burglary. 
• Take pictures of damage. Document shattered windows, kicked-in doors, and anything else that’s been damaged.
• Document what is missing. Write down what’s been stolen and provide it to law enforcement and your insurance company.
• Secure your house. Restore your home’s security by installing new locks, fixing doors and windows, and repairing other damage. If you utilize a digital lock, now is the time to update your codes.

Tidying up will do wonders for your stress and get life back to normal. After you’re done, it’s time to start thinking enhancing your home security.

Evaluate And Upgrade The Security At Your Orange County Home

How can you prevent this from occuring again? Your first step should be to take stock of your home’s security. A modern system with the following equipment will work wonders in better protecting your home: 

• Surveillance cameras: Nearly every prowler will hesitate when they observe surveillance cameras. Newer outdoor and doorbell cameras provide advanced capabilities like AI-powered smart detection. Any time there’s suspicious activity, you’ll receive a warning. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (particularly those on the ground level) should be protected by glass-break or contact sensors.
• Smart lights and locks: These automated tools can be controlled from anywhere. Are you worried you didn’t secure your door? You can check and engage the lock directly from your phone. You can even have inside lighting switch on if a camera detects suspicious activity.

If you want an integrated system that warns you and monitoring staff any time a sensor or camera is set off, consider a package from the home security specialists at ADT. You’ll benefit from mobile access, 24-hour monitoring, and advanced automation.

Stop Break-Ins With The Top Home Security Systems In Orange County

Stop intrusions from happening with an ADT home security package in Orange County from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your trusted ADT dealer, we install advanced equipment from the top name in the business. Discover your options by reaching out to (714) 475-2212 or submitting our form today.