Burglaries are, sadly, a common blight across the UK – including right here in Sheffield. Crime statistics in the UK showed that, in the last year, close to five hundred burglaries were reported every single day. Unfortunately, this means that many homeowners in the country are left with the emotional scars – and financial impact – of being burgled. In such a scenario, how do you even respond?

Hopefully, you are reading this article pre-emptively so you know how to respond in the aftermath of such a situation. If you have been burgled or want to know how to respond, read on. We spoke with a Sheffield locksmith from local experts Lock & Key who provided us with valuable insight into how to deal with a break-in. Hopefully, this will help you to feel more confident about responding accordingly!

How To Respond To A Break-In In The United Kingdom

Handling a break-in comes with many steps to make sure that you can stay safe and get back to a sense of normality ASAP. Our professional advice prior to organising your burglary repairs includes:

Contacting The Police Immediately

Whether you have come home to the aftermath of a break-in or the break-in is taking place, call the police now. Do not delay – dial their number immediately. 

• If the burglary has already taken place, dial 101 for a non-emergency police line. 

• If the burglary is taking place, dial 999 and speak as quietly as you can.

• If you fear being heard, dial 99 and then press 55 for the Silent Solutions line.

NEVER enter the property or leave a safe space in your property to confront the burglar. We understand why this might feel like a natural response, but criminals are inherently dangerous. Not only could they damage your property, but they could put you in harm's way. People who break into homes are often reckless, dangerous people who will have no qualms about being violent. Stay safe!

Filing A Police Report

Once the situation is over with, the police will hopefully catch the thieves ASAP. In the meantime, a police officer can carry out a property review and give you a crime reference number. You will need this number so you can give it to your home insurance provider if you intend to claim for any loss/damage.

Avoiding Contaminating Evidence

After someone has violated your privacy by invading your home, we understand the desire to get everything back to normal. However, our locksmiths recommend you touch nothing. You could contaminate potential evidence such as fingerprints and footprints, limiting the information police can glean from the crime scene.

We understand how hard it is to keep your emotions in check. Nobody wants to leave their home turned upside down for long. Until the police give you the go-ahead to start tidying up, though, hold back. Avoid disturbing the crime scene until the police have combed for prints, DNA, etc.

Taking Note Of Property Damage & Theft

With the police now having approved your ability to enter your home again, it is time to start taking note of what the criminals have stolen. Take your time here; it might be painful to look through each room, but you need to know exactly what has been stolen or broken. Try and:

• Make a clear note of anything that you cannot find that has gone missing, whether it is something that you can replace financially or not.

• Include both physical objects and stolen digital media. If someone has stolen your Sony PlayStation 5, for example, digital products such as digital game purchases will count.

• Find identifying features that help you to verify that you own this product. This could include things like product serial numbers and receipts, physical or digital. 

• Take photographs of anything that has not been stolen but has been damaged. The more proof you have of damage/theft, the easier it is to secure a payout.

Protecting Your Finances & Privacy

The next step is very important, but one that we find many individuals forget to carry out. You should:

• Contact your bank and have any debit or credit cards cancelled ASAP. This might seem overkill, but you never know what financial details the criminals found during their spree.

• Check your bank statements and immediate outgoings for any suspicious payments. In the era of contactless and online payments, criminals could already be using your cards.

• Communicate with your mobile phone provider. This is especially important if your phone was stolen during the break-in. They can then block your phone's capabilities to stop it from being used.

Criminals often do further damage after the break-in has ended. They could be using your cards to run up debts and spend more money, or using your phone for nefarious purposes. Even if cards or phones have not been confirmed as stolen, it might be better to be safe than sorry.

Contacting Your Insurance Providers

Now comes the part where you start the slow process of recovering what you lost. Contact your home insurance provider. You will need to provide them with the criminal reference number that the police gave you. This process can be slow-burning, but it will be worth going through as home insurance will help to replace the items that were stolen that you can replace, i.e. televisions, appliances, etc.

Insurance providers should be able to provide you with the full value of new items that were stolen outright. For older items that were damaged during the break-in, though, your provider might quibble over providing the full value of a replacement. Be prepared for some haggling with your provider. 

How Can I Make Sure I Never Get Broken Into Again?

While a break-in can happen to even the most impenetrable of properties, a locksmith can be an invaluable resource here. We recommend that you contact a locksmith as soon as you have dealt with all of the above steps. They can:

• Review the property and look for any further signs of break-in damage. Their professional opinion can help to sway home insurance payouts and ensure you get maximum support.

• Fix any damage done to your doors, windows, locks and security implementations. That means you can get everything restored to normal, including replacing damaged locks.

• Carry out a full security audit. Your break-in could have been prevented with just a few more security features, such as smart locks or security add-ons like CCTV camera systems.

A locksmith will be able to recommend various ways that you can make your home safer. They can offer help with security upgrades such as:

• Upgrading your locks, ensuring that your locks are British Standards 3621 (BS3621) approved. These locks provide further protection against all typical break-in methods.

• Re-keying your doors. This removes the risk that criminals could find a spare set of keys and thus return to carry out the same traumatic experience again. 

• Replacing your doors and windows with new, high-security alternatives. These tend to offer long-term security and reduce the kind of break-in methods that could be successful.

• Installing alarm systems and smart security components. As mentioned above, a locksmith can recommend installations like motion detectors, sensors, alarms, and camera systems.

Take The Time You Need To Heal: Burglaries Are Traumatic

The above should cover all of the administrative functions that are part of overcoming a break-in. That being said, the impact of a burglary goes far beyond just the physical damage done or the items lost. There is an emotional impact that you might not feel immediately; it might come over time, gradually. 

If you find it hard to sleep at night or you find it hard to trust again, it is totally understandable. Your best bet is to arrange an appointment with your doctor; they can recommend treatments to help you ease your anxiety. This will take time, though; nobody gets over a break-in the next day, it takes months. In some cases, even years.

You can also reach out to third-party support groups, such as Victim Support. These are free support lines that, as well as therapeutic support from a professional, could provide some clarity and closure on this horrible incident. Be safe, and use the above locksmith-approved advice to move on with your life as soon as you reasonably can. It will take time, but you will hopefully find peace eventually.