What if my home is burglarized?

• Leave the house and call 911 immediately. While most burglars will run the moment they hear you approach, some will hide in your home and could pose an incredible threat to your family’s safety. If you arrive home and think your home has been burglarized, get out immediately.
• Don’t touch anything. Some burglars wear gloves, but not all do. Resist opening jewelry drawers and touching anything inside your home. Fingerprints are powerful prosecutors, but they are delicate and can be easily destroyed. Until police have given you the ok to do so, don’t touch anything. Make the police aware if you find something that may belong to the burglar. But don’t touch it.
• Wait in a safe place. Find shelter in a neighbor’s house or get back in your car and lock the doors until police arrive. Make note of any unfamiliar people or cars you might see near your home, jotting down physical descriptions and license plate numbers. Often, what seems out of place is, and your seemingly unimportant information could help police track down the criminal.
• Take inventory. You’ll need to make a list of items that were stolen and property that was damaged. You’ll need to provide the list to law enforcement and your insurance company.