What to do if you’re at home during a break-in

With a continuing rise in sneak-in-burglaries - a burglary that occurs when someone is present in the home - it’s essential to prepare yourself for potentially coming face-to-face with a perpetrator. Although it’s been reported that 86% of thieves do all they can to avoid bumping into the occupant, you’ll avoid putting yourself or your family in danger by taking all of the relevant safety precautions discussed in this article. Here’s a complete guide on what to do if you’re at home during a break-in… 

Plan in advance

Although you may deem your house to be completely safe, there are always extra measures you can take for long-term protection. By investing in a home security system equipped with 24/7 professional monitoring, you’ll have constant peace of mind. 

Did you know that the vast majority of burglaries and attempted burglaries happen through your front door? According to the latest data from the Office of National Statistics, 59% of burglaries in incidents of all domestic burglary in a dwelling happened through the front door in the year April 2019 to March 2020. So keep eyes on all ways in and out of your home; install a SimpliSafe Entry Sensor on your doors and windows, as they will alert you the moment a burglar attempts to break in. 

For additional security, you could also equip your home with Motion Sensors that are designed to detect when someone has entered a room using advanced heat sensing technology, alerting you to any suspicious activity. By investing in a variety of crime deterrents that optimise your home’s security, such as an Outdoor Camera, you’ll lessen the chance of a break-in happening. 

Keep calm 

Although it may seem impossible, always try to remain calm in the event of a break-in. The natural response may be to leap into action, but this could cause harm when you’re not a trained professional. Instead, take several deep breaths to calm yourself; this will allow you to think clearly about the next steps to take. 

Police response

Through our Pro Premium professional alarm monitoring plan, you can be assured that the police will be contacted immediately, if a break-in has been verified on the SimpliCam. Using smart motion detection, our indoor camera will alert you via mobile so that you can take action if needed. Our monitoring centre works around the clock to ensure that they’re ready to dispatch help at any time, guaranteeing constant protection against a break-in. 

For those that aren’t on our professional monitoring plan, you should call 999 immediately to alert the police, if it’s safe to do so. During a break-in, the quicker you act the better, so be sure to give all relevant details needed for tracking your location. The police will also be able to provide advice on what to do next to ensure your safety. If it’s unsafe to speak, you can text 999 to receive help during an emergency. 

Stay quiet

Don’t confront a burglar. One wrong move could be fatal, so the way you react during the first 30 seconds of a break-in is vital. To stay out of danger, get up and lock or barricade the door of the room you’re currently in as quietly as possible, without alerting anyone to your presence and exposing your location. 

The SimpliSafe Panic Button is designed for this scenario; when pressed, it will instantly trigger your alarm. When on the Pro Premium plan, our professional monitoring centre will contact you immediately to check that you’re okay, but if you don’t answer or are unable to provide us with a “safe word”, we can verify an emergency using the SimpliCam as mentioned above. If you are in danger, the police will be alerted instantly. We recommend that you keep this button in your bedroom, so that it’s easily accessible if you’re in danger. 

Can you escape?

If you’re able to get out of the house safely, such as by climbing out of a window that isn’t too high up, you should do so immediately. However, if making the escape is likely to cause harm and you don’t have a fire escape ladder available, remain where you are, alert the police - either through our professional alarm monitoring plan or manually - and stay quiet. You don’t want to injure yourself and end up in a vulnerable position. 

Take notes

If you do happen to catch a glimpse of the intruder during a break-in, either scribble down or make a mental note of any important details that could help the police. For example, how many intruders were there? What did they look like? What were they wearing? What’s their gender, or approximate weight? Can you see their vehicle out of your window? Anything you can recall will make it easier for the police to track them down.

Aftermath

It’s an incredibly traumatic experience when a break-in or burglary does happen, but there’s always an opportunity to learn from it. Question what went wrong, and consider any additional measures you could take to enhance your home’s security in the future. These investments will ensure yours and your family’s safety, lessening the chances of you becoming a victim of another break-in. For more advice on this, head over to our previous blog post on how to recover from a burglary. 

We understand that your family’s safety and security is your top priority, so our team of experts is here to help protect your property. By using professional monitoring, the authorities can be alerted in the event of a break-in, even when you’re away from your home. Contact us today to build your custom security system.