Burglary victims have more than a 1 in 4 chance of being burgled again!
Getting burgled is a traumatic event. The fact that a stranger has got inside your family home where you and your loved ones sleep is a nightmare come true. The frightening thing is, if a burglar knows he can easily access your property he’s likely to return. However, he’ll be more efficient next time as he’ll know the best entry and exit points and where all the good stuff is located!
Often people put it down to bad luck when they get burgled, a one off event. This is an egregious error. Your house was targeted once for a specific reason and will more than likely be targeted again if you do not fix the problem. Just because you’ve been burgled once, don’t think it won’t happen again.
Unfortunately, 92% of people did not upgrade their alarm after they had been successfully burgled. More info HERE
Why Do Burglars Return to the Scene of the Crime?
To put it bluntly, once a burglar knows you’re an easy target they’ll repeatedly come back or tell their friends until you remedy the situation. Burglars thrive on opportunity and once they feel comfortable after the first time they’ll more than likely return. Unless they’ve left some evidence or dropped their phone at the scene they’re coming back for one thing and one thing only.
There are more logistical reasons a burglar will return to the same house twice. The burglar will be familiar with the layout of the property – they’ll know what time to strike, more than likely the same time as the time previous.
Burglars creeping around in the dark at night is something of a myth. Most burglaries happen in the daytime. Burglars know that houses are mainly empty between the times of 10am and 3pm. If a burglar knows the house is empty he’ll be more than likely to repeat his crime. The less effort they have to put in scouting new properties the better!
The best time for a burglar to strike again is directly after the first burglary. He relies on the fact that you won’t be expecting another intrusion so soon after the first one.
Secondly, the burglar will always have you in the back of his mind. He’ll know that your insurance will pay out for your stolen items and it’ll just be a matter of time before you replace them with newer stuff. It could be months or a year down the line but if you haven’t secured your property in the aftermath of the first burglary he’ll be helping himself to your valuables once again.
What To Do After You’ve Been Burgled
First and foremost, once it’s clear you’re the victim of a burglary you should phone the police immediately. Explain the situation and more importantly DO NOT touch anything. If their is a shred of evidence left at the scene you don’t want to destroy it by cleaning everything up.
Make a list of everything that has been stolen. Check to see if there’s any keys missing, if so, change your locks immediately.
Data crimes are on the rise, if someone has gained access to your property they could have found vital digital information. Online banking and identity fraud is on the rise also. Once your house has been breached you should change any passwords that you may have saved on any of your devices. Cancel any credit or debit cards immediately if they have been stolen.
Contact your insurance provider. They will advise you on what to do next and may help you with any immediate costs you may incur.
Lastly, the burglar targeted your house because it was vulnerable. It may have been because no one was in, it could’ve been targeted because it was a detached corner house, or they might have simply seen something of value through a window. Whatever the reason your property was targeted take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If you don’t have an adequate alarm system then look to invest in one, or simply upgrade your current one.
