Coming home to find your place ransacked can be a horrible experience. The sanctity of your home has been violated and it can be difficult to feel safe in the days and weeks following a robbery. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, it is important to know what steps to take in the aftermath. Here are a few things to do as you pick yourself up, dust off and begin anew:
Don't touch anything: In the immediate wake of a robbery it can be tempting to rifle through your things to see what's missing. This is a bad idea, and could make an investigator's job much more difficult. Instead make sure everyone is safe, don't enter the house if you believe someone might still be inside and call the police. It can be helpful to take pictures of the scene, without disturbing anything, to document evidence. If you happen to encounter the robber, do not enter a confrontation with them and don't attempt to photograph them. The priority is your safety.
Clean up: This is an important step in the process because it allows you to begin healing. It can be hard to live in your home after a theft. Try to get back into the swing of things by cleaning up as soon as you are given the go-ahead by the police. Rearranging furniture and disposing of broken and damaged items can help to put the memory of the robbery out of your mind.
Plan ahead: Identify the weaknesses in your security that might have helped a robber along. Were doors or windows open? Did the thief break a lock? Was the window broken? Audit and update security as needed. For increased safety consider adding 3M security film to your windows. This type of window film uses utilizing strong, micro-layered, tear-resistant material to hold the glass together in the case of a break-in. Professionals like Michigan Glass Coatings can help you install this security feature.