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What to do in the event of a burglary

It is an awful feeling to arrive at your office or home to find it has been burgled and many of your valuables stolen or damaged. In light of this, one of South Africa’s leading security organisations, Chubb Security, has a couple of tips on how to manage this scenario.

The first most important thing to do is to leave the premises immediately. While your initial reaction is to assess the damage and establish what has been stolen, there is the possibility that the intruder or intruders are still there. Leave at once and call your security provider and the police from a neighbouring business or a neighbour's house and remain there until the police and security company have searched your office or home.

If you turn to leave but find yourself face to face with an aggressive intruder, remain calm. Running or screaming can result in the intruder becoming agitated. As calmly as possible, tell the intruder to take your belongings and leave. The purpose of their break-in was likely robbery and if they can do that without being hindered they should not have cause for violence.

Another good reason not to call from your premises is that by using your own phone you may be destroying evidence. Most criminals are careless and may stay in your office or home for a while, helping themselves to food, watching television or even making a call. By doing so they have left fingerprints which make the difference between an arrest and a repeat offence.

As the security company and police search your office or home they can usually also determine the point of entry. Knowing which area(s) of your office or home are vulnerable to intruders can tell you where you need to enhance your security installation. The most common points of entry are usually the front door, first floor windows, back door, garage, basement, second floor and storage area. Consider adding an alarm system, perimeter beams; electric fencing; outdoor lighting, and more secure locks on windows and doors. If tree branches grow near a window, prune them back.

Once your security company and the police have determined that the intruders have left and they have been able to do some basic assessments only then should you enter your property. You will need to report which items were stolen and their estimated value. If you took photographs of your valuables beforehand, this will assist the police investigation. You will be able to avoid any problems and delays with insurance settlements as well as providing police with evidence.

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