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It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. You return home and find your door has been forced open or a window shattered. You can’t think straight, fretting about what’s missing and the damage to your property. What can you do? Take a breath, stay calm, and follow these tips after a break-in at your Jacksonville home.  

Once the dust settles, learn how to better prevent break-ins with an advanced security system.

Immediate Steps After A Break-In

Finding your house has been burglarized is traumatic. You may be furious, frightened, or simply in shock. Regardless, it’s important to act rationally by doing the following: 

• Do not enter. It may be tempting to rush inside to assess the situation. Don’t. There’s a possibility someone is still there.
• Call the authorities right away.  Keep yourself and loved ones at a safe spot nearby and hold tight until help arrives. Work with law enforcement to file a report. 
• Leave everything as is. Let the police secure the area and collect evidence.  

What Are The Next Steps?

You’ve spoken with the police, and your home is clear to re-enter. What should you do next? 

• Notify your bank and credit card issuers . If a thief grabbed sensitive documents, purses, or wallets, you’ll want to alert your credit card companies and banks right away. It’s wise to freeze accounts and your credit. You can also place a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
• Contact your insurance company. Start the claims process with your insurer. You should do so within a day of the burglary. 
• Take pictures of damage. Document broken windows, kicked-in doors, and anything else that’s been damaged.
• Document what was taken. Create a record of what’s gone and provide it to the police and your insurance provider.
• Secure your home. Make your home safe again by replacing locks, fixing windows and doors, and repairing other damage. If you have a keypad lock system, now is the time to change your access codes.

Cleaning up will do wonders for your stress and restore a sense of normalcy. After you’re done, it’s time to consider upgrading your home security.

Assess And Improve The Security At Your Jacksonville Home

What can you do to prevent another burglary from occurring? Your initial step should be to evaluate your home security. An advanced system with these devices will work wonders in strengthening your home’s protection: 

• Security cameras: Nearly every would-be burglar will reconsider their plans when they see security cameras. Today’s exterior and doorbell cameras offer advanced capabilities like AI-driven smart detection. Any time there’s questionable activity, you’ll receive a warning. 
• Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (particularly those on the ground floor) should be protected by contact or glass-break sensors.
• Smart locks and lights: These automated tools can be operated from anywhere. Are you worried you forgot to lock your door? You can verify and operate the lock right from your phone. You can even have inside lighting turn on if a camera spots someone lurking.

If you want a modern system that notifies you and monitoring agents whenever a sensor or camera is triggered, consider a package from the home security leaders at ADT. You’ll benefit from smartphone access, 24-hour monitoring, and custom automation.

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

Stop intrusions at your property with an ADT home security package in Jacksonville from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As an authorized ADT dealer, we install the latest equipment from the top name in the business. Discover your options by calling (904) 297-5779 or filling out our form today.