We Were Robbed and Here is What We Wish We Would Have Known

On Friday someone broke into our house and stole a number of items. It sucks, but we thought we’d at least try to make lemonade out lemons. So, we wanted to share what we wish we would have known before it happened, in case it can help someone else:

• We were robbed when I went to pick up the kids from daycare at 4:30PM on Friday, so it can happen any time
• The house was empty for less than 45 minutes, so it can happen fast
• In our case, the burglar pounded on a basement window to break the locking mechanism and climbed through into the basement. We should have had something in the window tracks to prevent the window from opening.
• It appears the burglar went straight to the bedrooms and started going through drawers looking for jewelry. We should have either had it locked up or put in some random place. We’ve since read that an average break-in takes 8 minutes… so whatever you do to make it harder and more time consuming is good.
• The thief took laptops and ipads he found along the way. The serial numbers on these are your best shot of catching him when he tries to sell them. Make sure you have them.
• The thief stole a hand gun. It was in a locked case and out of the way. So, thieves are smart. I didn’t keep track of the serial number. I should have so that law enforcement would have a record.
• I was in such a panic when I found out, that I missed obvious things like that the thief left a clipboard in my bedroom. Try to slow dow and take it all in so you can provide all info to law enforcement.
• If people are walking around your neighborhood and it seems strange, call your security company or law enforcement. It never hurts to be safe. If the person is on the up and up, then a visit with security shouldn’t be a problem.
• Touch as little as you can. The thief may or may not wear gloves. If not, being careful may preserve a fingerprint.
• The sheriff’s deputy who came to assist had just worked a fatal motorcycle accident. He was remarkably composed. These men and women have a tough job.
• Anything you really don’t want stolen should be in a safe deposit box. We got off relatively lucky… but it was sheer luck. We’ll pay $60 a year for a box on Monday.

Anyhow, we hope this helps someone else avoid our fate. Having two dogs, we thought something like this would never happen. We were wrong.