Signs of a Break-in: 4 Steps to Take to Improve Safety and Security for Your Home and Family June 15, 2015 Returning home from a vacation away might have been a great feeling. You certainly had a wonderful time with your family on that vacation, but you looked forward to being able to relax in your family room, watch some TV, and then sleep in your own bed. When you pulled into the driveway, began unpacking, and headed to the side entrance doors, you noticed it was wide open. That could leave a sinking feeling for any family. However, not every break-in is so obvious. Some are subtle and may not easily be spotted right away. Whether you noticed the door in your home was broken open, a window was smashed, or nothing appeared to be tampered with but items are missing from inside your home, there are steps you can take to improve safety and security for your entire house and family. Step #1: Contact the authorities. Always let the local police know you’ve had a break-in. You always want to make sure the potential criminal is no longer in your residence. Have the authorities do a sweep of your home to ensure that they are long gone. Step #2: Evaluate the condition of your doors. If you have old entry doors, they might be worn out and that can make it easier for somebody to pry them open using a crowbar. The signs of a break-in could be quite subtle, too. Step #3: Consider replacing your exterior doors. Replacing entry doors may seem like a significant investment, but if they are old and worn out, you can replace them with more secure doors that can prevent a repeat break-in. Step #4: Realize that criminals like to frequent easy to break into homes. If your home is easy to get into, the person who broke in last time may return again in the future, especially if you don’t take any steps to prove the security of that house. When you increase security by replacing your entry doors, you deter people from even trying to break-in again in the future. This won’t prevent it, so you may want to consider installing a home security system and possibly even considering impact resistant windows on the ground floor level of your home.
