What To Do If You Get Broken Into: Part 1
We typically focus on discussing ways to prevent a business break-in and other physical threats your business faces, but the reality is that break-ins do happen, sometimes even when a business has taken all the proper precautions to prevent them. To put it in perspective, it’s estimated that around 2.5 million burglaries happen annually in the United States.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be discussing what to do if you’ve been broken into and will also be providing ways to put a stop to break-ins and theft. We will also be interviewing one of our vendors whose office was broken into a few months ago and left them completely blindsided. This is part 1 of what to do if your office is broken into.
What To Do If You Get Broken Into
Sometimes the damage is obvious and the person or group responsible for the damage was trying to get in and out as quickly as they could without any regard to your property they didn’t want to steal. Worst cases are break-ins where someone gains access inside with malicious intent, which often seems unprovoked and leaves victims with questions and feelings of being intruded on.
On the other hand, sometimes there is little to no damage or trace of anyone having broken into your office. In fact, you may not notice that anyone has broken in and that property is missing until you go looking for what has been stolen. This can also leave the victim feeling violated and on-edge. This is what happened recently with one of our vendors we mentioned above. Be sure to check back in next week for their story and how it could have been prevented.
As soon as you notice that someone has broken in, call the police and relay to them all of the information you know. Pieces may still come together in the following hours and days, but by calling the police as soon as possible, you may help them catch the thief if they’re nearby and will gain a much-needed sense of safety by their presence.
Try not to touch or move anything until the police arrive and give the all-clear. This is for safety reasons and also allows officials to collect fingerprints, which are incredibly valuable evidence. Once you get an all-clear, you can begin to take inventory. Keep a log of everything that is missing and include the makes and models. Receipts of items will also be helpful when talking with insurance.
It’s important to call your insurance provider within 24 hours of becoming aware of the incident. Depending on your policy, your provider may offer emergency repair services to immediately address broken windows or doors that the burglar used to gain entry.
Conduct an audit of your security systems. If they broke in through an open window or locked door, how can those be improved? If you need help with this, register for our free Business Security Assessment. This is our expertise and we work to keep your people and property safe from all physical threats.
The good news is that property crime rates have significantly decreased over the past decade. Like we always say, the best way to prevent physical attacks is by investing in our business security products, which are monitored by our trained safety experts 24/7. Before your business is broken into, read our blog on why your business needs a security assessment. It could make all the difference when a burglar is choosing their next victim.