How to Report a Burglary

Caught in the Middle?  Best Practices if stuck in a Crime Scene

Burglary according to law is defined as The criminal offense of breaking and entering a building illegally for the purpose of committing a crime. Burglary is a serious offence and is the second most common crime committed in the United states after Larceny making almost 20% of crimes committed.  Burglary is a harrowing experience and an extremely scaring one. An individual can either be within the house when a burglary attempt occurs or he may be out and comes home to meet the place burgled.

No one wants to be caught in the middle of a home invastion

Responding and reporting a Burglary on both account requires slightly different approach with the most important factor being personal safety until law enforcement agents arrives.

Reporting a Burglary attempt while in the house

Most burglary attempts occur at night or while people are out of the house, though it may also occur during the day. If you suspect your home is being burgled while you are home, follow the following steps to ensure safety and easy reporting of the crime.

1. Hide and seek.  Chances are the burglar might have a weapon and wouldn’t hesitate to use it in a bid to avoid being caught. Carefully seek safety away from the burglar. Locate an empty room with a lock that isn’t easily accessible.
2. Don’t confront the burglar. It’s unwise to confront the burglar if you are not armed or well vast in self-defense. Most burglars are scared and are liable to act irrational when confronted especially if they are harmed. Stay safe.
3. Call for help asap.  Locate a mobile phone and call your local police department. If you do not have their number, call 911.
4. Remember physical traits.  Provide useful information about the burglar to the police that may help them in assessing the situation such as body build, sex, number of assailant, approximate age, race, etc.
5. Keep hiding.  Remain hidden till help comes.

Reporting a Burglary attempt while you are not home

No one wants this yellow crime scene tape in front of their home

Chances are you came home to meet your home broken into or the front door lock broken. Statistics have shown that most burglars are more likely to break in through a door than a window. Here are the steps to take if you suspect that your home may just have been burgled.

1. Don’t enter into the house, it is possible that the burglary still be in the house and your safety may be compromised. It’s also possible that your entry would disrupt the crime scene and smudge prints that could help in capturing the break in.
2. Move away from the house and proceed to call the law enforcement agency, if you do not have a phone. Ask your neighbor to help call the police.
3. File a report of the burglary and furnish the police with all the information you may have about the crime. If your home is protected by a camera system. Give the police access to the video footage as this would help in apprehending the burglar.
4. Remember not to touch anything till the police arrives, when they do proceed to make an inventory of what was stolen and let them know. They may require the information.

After all is said and done… 

Burglary is a serious felony while you may or may not be home during the incidence, the most important issue is your personal safety. Proceed to reach out to the local police department after you are in safety. Take precautions and setup neighborhood watches to prevent crime in local areas.  Its highly unsafe to confront the burglar. Homeowners and renters are further advised to invest in a home security or alarm systems for maximal security.  Best of all you can get our ultimate Secure Your Life guide for free and learn about other ways to protect yourself from the worst case scenarios.

Have you ever been caught in the middle of a crime scene and had to report the burglar?  Please share your stories below.

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Isabelle Landau

Growing up with Law and Order and CSI shows taught Isabelle Landau one thing: if people back then had high-quality home security systems, those series would have been way shorter. In our modern world, technology helps us keep burglars away easily, and this is what Izzy studies and writes about: alarm systems, home security, protection systems, and more.