What To Do When Your Residence Gets Robbed
It can be a scary feeling when you come home from work to discover that someone robbed your apartment. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help that there are so many different opinions about what you should do in this situation. So, this blog post will answer the question: What to do when your residence gets robbed?
Leave the House
It is essential to leave the house as soon as possible so that you don’t stand out. Walk away calmly and take a bus or taxi home, depending on how far your house is from public transport. If the intruders stole your phone in addition to other things, turn it off immediately. This will prevent thieves from accessing any of your personal information.
Call 911
Call the police or security as soon as possible to report the robbery. You should also draw a statement of all stolen items for an investigation to begin. Also, the police will provide some temporary home security while your case is under review.
Seek legal representation for a residential negligence suit
Contact an attorney to see if you can sue the landlord for negligence if your residence has a defective lock or other negligent security measures. The court will base its decision on evidence that points towards oversight, such as old locks and lousy security systems.
Don’t Touch Anything
Do not touch anything that is inside the residence. The police will want to create a list of all your stolen goods, and you can get in trouble for tampering with evidence. It doesn’t matter how much you need your belongings back; tampering with evidence could lead to a criminal charge against you.
Check the Video Footage of the Robbery
If you have a security system, ask for video footage of the robbery. Even if it doesn’t capture images of the thief’s face, it will show what time they entered and exited your home, which can help identify them in other ways, such as using fingerprints from where they touched objects inside.
Take Care of Your Loved Ones
You may want to take care of your family members and loved ones first even though you’re upset. After that, focus on yourself. Try not to be too hard on yourself for being robbed. There are worse things in life than losing a few possessions, and this experience can make you more cautious about security in the future, which is always good!
Document the Scene
Take pictures of the robbery scene with your phone or camera to document everything. This is a critical step in proving negligence against the landlord and identifying any missing valuables, which will help you get insurance money.
Contact All Credit Card Companies Immediately
Call every credit company you use to block or change your password temporarily. You should also monitor these accounts for any suspicious activity, such as a sudden spike in spending by the thieves. Similar to what you did with the credit cards, take this time to call every bank or other institution you employ. It is crucial to ensure that your finances still have your name on them to get new bank cards.
Contact All Employers Immediately
Call every employer with an account and instruct them to cancel the cards on file, change passwords or get new bank cards if appropriate. It is crucial for information about your work not to be available to the thieves.
Call Your Phone Company and Change Passwords for Lines As Well
Change the password on any line or account with personal information such as an address and home phone number. If the intruders get a hold of this data, it could lead to more theft in the future, so you must monitor these data for any suspicious activities.
Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately
Report the robbery to your insurer as soon as possible, so they know what has happened after you file a claim. It may not be worth it now with all of the other things that need to happen, but this will help prevent them from arguing against you.
Place a Sticker on All Doors That Says ‘Police Line – Do Not Cross’
Place a sticker on all doors that says ‘Police Line -Do Not Cross’ to prevent anyone from entering the residence. Even if they are family members, it is best not to allow them inside because you want to avoid any compromises on potential evidence by others who may have access to your house.
Contact Your Security Provider
Contact your home security provider and report the robbery so that they can start a claim for you. It is important to ensure everything gets replaced, including locks on doors/windows (if applicable), furniture, or appliances. If not insured at this time, it may be worth looking into getting covered.
Stay at a Hotel or With Friends
If you cannot go back to your residence, stay in a safer location for the night until you sort everything out and you can live there again. If money is an issue, it may be worth staying with friends.
If You Don’t Feel Safe, Move Away Completely
If you do not feel safe at your residence, it may be worth looking into moving to a different location for safety reasons. This step is especially true if the robber was somebody that knew where you lived or has been stalking you because they will likely know how to get in next time and could potentially break in when nobody’s there. So it pays to be prepared and save yourself the future hassle.
Change Your Home Security System
If you use a code to access your house, you should change that as soon as possible because the thieves may have that information now and can use it to get in. Also, teach your children to keep the code a secret because predators may try to lure them into getting the pass into your house.
In conclusion, it is never a good day when someone breaks into your home or steals from you. The most important thing to remember, though, is that you can deal with it. Therefore, consider the above tips on how to cope with such a situation.
