You come home only to notice the door is ajar. As you walk into your home, you discover the room is a disaster and it’s clear you have become the victim of a burglary. Naturally, your first step will be to call the police and report the crime. Your next step will be re-securing your home, and the final step will be attempting to collect insurance and recover physical property.
To that end, the following are some tips on how to recover stolen property following a burglary:
- Start by keeping detailed records before a break-in occurs. Make sure you’ve recorded serial numbers and identifying marks, and taken photographs of your property. Keep this information safely secured in a safe deposit box outside your home and with your insurance company.
- Save your receipts. This helps provide proof of ownership should property be located. This is especially important for big ticket items such as jewelry, art, and electronics.
- Install a video camera that triggers when the alarm goes off. This not only helps provide proof that an item was taken, it can help identify those who are taking it.
- If you are the victim of a burglary, provide your records to the police department. You will also want to contact are pawn shops and consignment stores and provide them a redacted list of items that have been taken; especially jewelry, firearms, and electronics which are often sold to pawn dealers quickly after a theft.
- Finally, stay patient. Recovering property takes time. In the interim, secure your home and stay in close contact with police and your insurance company who are helping with recovery.
Contact Shield Security Systems at 1-800-4SHIELD to learn more about how to recover stolen property and the steps you can take today to keep your home and family safe.
