A home break-in is one of the worst things that any homeowner could experience. If the very place where you and your family feel safe and secure has been intruded by a burglar, the emotional toll of this situation can be overwhelming and traumatizing. However, knowing what to do after a break-in can help you address the situation in a rational manner and prevent future break-ins from happening.

To help you out, we have come up with 8 things to do when your house is broken into, plus all the details about the perfect biometric safe to store your valuables to keep them from getting stolen in case of break-ins. 

What To Do When Your House Is Broken Into?

As emotional human beings, it is completely normal to feel anxious in the presence of danger. Normally, our fight-or-flight responses go full blast when we come face-to-face with a threat to our survival. It pays to think rationally, take deep breaths, and apply the following tips to avoid going deeper into danger:

1. Verify The Intruder’s Presence

In life-threatening situations, time is of the essence. So, you have to be quick and keen in verifying your intruder’s presence. To do this, listen to your surroundings very closely. Play close attention to barking dogs, glass breaking, doors banging and/or opening, and objects shuffling. If you hear any of these sounds, it may mean there is an  intruder  in your home, so please take proper precautions and be safe.  . 

 

If you have security cameras or digital doorbells connected to your phone, check the alerts or saved camera feed right away that way you can possibly verify if there is an intruders present in your home. Some intruders may avoid your cameras, so please take the proper precautions and if you are afraid, call 911 or emergency services. 

2. Stay Calm and Composed

It’s normal for your heart rate to skyrocket and your adrenaline to surge during frightening situations. However, allowing yourself to stay in panic mode leads to more destruction than safety. Hence, try to stay calm and composed by taking a few deep breaths and gathering your thoughts. Staying calm can help you focus on your next move, which is crucial if you want to stay safe. 

 

Avoid grabbing any kind of weapon unless you have tactical training for high-intensity situations. Weapons like firearms or knives can bring more harm when used by someone with no professional training. If you do own a gun, we recommend storing it in a biometric safe like The Space Safe.

3. Determine Your Escape Plan

 

If you’ve already confirmed that the intruder is still inside your premises, don’t confront them, call 911 or emergency services right away. Most intruders are not looking to kill you, they’re probably looking to steal something. Regardless, avoid the intruder at any cost, and carefully determine your escape plan - if one is necessary. To start, you can look for a quick and easy way out, and if that’s not an option lock yourself in a closet or a bathroom and bar the door. 

 

If you’re planning to escape, look for big windows you can fit through, or any other opening in your house that leads outside. If you’re on the second floor, be careful if escape is the option you choose. If your house has a fire escape, now’s the best time to use it, but use it only if it’s possible for you to escape without getting caught since fire escapes normally make a lot of noise.

4. Leave Immediately 

Once you’ve determined a smart way out, you have to act swiftly and carefully to avoid being caught by the intruder. He might only be there to steal things, but we never know what his actions will be once he finds out that he’s caught. Going back to bring some of your valuables with you before heading outside won’t be a smart move, so to avoid this, you can keep them in a reliable biometric safe like The Space Safe. 

 

This is also the moment to put your adrenaline to good use. Once nearing the exit, allow that adrenaline rush to help you run away from your property as fast as you can, and go to a neighbor who can provide help.

5. Hide if You Can't Escape

 

If you failed in creating an escape plan, your best action is to hide and stay put. Try searching for a place where you can hide, and stay there until help arrives or the intruder leaves. The place can be your bathroom, bedroom, or closet. Make sure to switch places without making a sound. The goal is to avoid your intruder as you have no idea what kind of weapon they’re holding.

6. Call 911

 

Whether you’re hiding or escaping, always call 911. The cops are the best persons to help you in this situation. If you’re still in hiding, keep your voice low and speak slowly so that the dispatchers can hear and understand you.

Take note of the following ways to call 911:

• Call using any phone by dialing 9-1-1.
• Call using an iPhone 8 or later by holding down the power and lower volume buttons at the same time. Then, select the “Emergency SOS” option. 
• Call using an iPhone 7 or earlier by pressing the power button five times. Then, slide the “Emergency SOS” option. 
• Text 911 using a cellphone in an area with Text 911 services. Do this by opening a new text message draft, typing in 9-1-1 into the “To” field, and writing your SOS message. Be accurate and spell things out. Do not put unnecessary characters, such as emojis and gifs. 

 

Another great reason to own The Space Safe is that you can alert 911 via The Space App. 

 

Be prepared to answer the dispatcher’s questions and give updates when you move locations within the house. The dispatcher will stay on the line with you until help arrives.

7. Take Notes

If you have a pen and paper nearby, jot down notes regarding the intruders physical appearance. If you have nothing, take mental notes instead. If the intruder’s in a visible position, take note of the gender, height and weight, face, built, skin and hair color, shirt color, and other visible features. 

 

Jotting down descriptions of the intruder’s physical appearance is helpful in the event that the intruder gets away before help arrives. By doing so, you can provide the cops with a detailed description of what the intruder is like because this will help them in tracking and identifying your intruder. Once everything’s cleared, and the cops declare that it’s safe for you to go back, look around and take notes of the stolen and broken things. You can include this on your police report. 

8. Invest in Better Home Security

If you have poor home security before the break-in, then the best thing to do post-intrusion is to invest in a better home security. Your primary move after the break-in should be installing technology that can make your space safer, and assure you that intruders will never get another chance to break-in.

 

Home security technologies may include, but are not limited to:

• CCTVs that can be connected to your phone
• Home alarm system
• Fire alarms
• More secure door and window locks
• Motion-sensitive lights
• The Space Safe smart biometric safe

 

The best home biometric safe to invest in is The Space Safe. This one-of-a-kind electronic safe can help you secure your most important belongings and keep them from getting stolen during home intrusions. 

 

The most remarkable feature about this electronic safe is that it isn’t designed like a typical square-faced safe. It has a huge LCD screen protected by tempered glass, and a sleek hardware that looks nowhere near a conventional safe box. You can also use its faux screen feature to veer the burglars away. It has four options: faux radio, faux printer, the weather, and your favorite photo. With this safe, intruders and burglars won’t even think of looking twice. 

 

The Space Safe also has exterior and interior cameras, so if the burglar goes near the safe box, you can automatically see the burglar’s face on The Space App. If the burglar escapes, you can show the photo to the cops. That way, you can help them in locating and tracking down your intruder. 

 

During home break-ins, alerting the cops is the most important thing to do. Fortunately, The Space Safe has a distinct feature where you can notify the cops from The Space App. Alerting 911 from the app sends a text message to 911 making it much easier for you to reach the cops in no time. The Space Safe doesn’t just function as a safe, it also functions as a device for you to ring the cops, and save your life in case a break-in happens!

Final Thoughts

A break-in can be a traumatic experience, especially when kids are involved. However, by following these tips and upgrading your home security systems, you can be sure to avoid break-ins or stay calm in case it happens. So, remember the tips in this article and always invest in quality home security systems, such as The Space Safe.

 

Get it now at www.TheSpaceSafe.com.  

 

Images used are not the property of space and are used for inspiration to discuss products. 

– Charisse Thompson