Burglary
We'll help even if you haven't told the police about the burglary
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Burglary is one of the most common types of crime. Incidents have thankfully been decreasing in recent years but around a million burglaries take place in the UK each year. It's a serious and very common crime that affects huge numbers of people.
Burglaries can happen in many different ways. You may have been away from home at the time. Or maybe someone tricked their way into your house, or you were busy or asleep when they broke in. And a burglary isn't always a one-off event – some people may have been burgled several times or may be suffering other crimes as well, such as harassment or hate crimes.
How you react to being burgled will vary from person to person. Even if nothing has been stolen, most people are upset just at the thought that a stranger has been in their home. Some people don't feel secure in their home any more after a burglary. Children in particular can be very frightened and it's easy for parents to forget the needs of their children when trying to sort out the mess and upset that a burglary can cause.
Some practical ideas
There are some things you can do after a burglary to help reduce the effects of the crime and to improve your home security:
- try to get your home secured as quickly as possible. If you are in rented housing, tell your landlord about any repairs you need. If you own your home, you will need to make your own arrangements. We may be able to help, so why not get in touch.
- look into ways of making your home more secure for the future. Some security measures can be expensive. But there are other things you can do that cost much less, such as leaving lights or a radio on when you go out and checking that all doors and windows are properly closed and locked. Your local police station may be able to arrange for someone to give you home security advice too.
- if important documents have been stolen, you will also need to let banks, government departments and other organisations know. Things to check for include bank cards, cheque books, passports, benefit books, mobile phones, birth certificates and driving licences. It's particularly important to tell banks and building societies quickly so that they can prevent fraud and further theft.
- if you have home insurance and want to make a claim you will need a crime reference number from the police.
Get in touch: we can help
Most people are referred to us by the police when they report a crime. But anyone can contact us directly if they want to.
You can also email or call the Victim Supportline on 0845 30 30 900 for support and information.
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