ADT® Authorized Dealer Serving Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville & Surrounding Areas
Couple assessing damage after a burglary
April 06, 2026

What To Do After A Break-in At Your Sacramento Home?

It’s every family’s nightmare. You arrive home to see your door is wide open or a window broken. You can’t think straight, worrying about what’s been stolen and the damage to your property. What will you do? Stay calm, take a breath, and follow these steps after a break-in at your Sacramento home.  

Once things are under control, learn how to better prevent burglaries with the latest home security system.

Initial Steps After A Break-In

Finding your house has been broken into is traumatic. You could be upset, frightened, or simply in disbelief. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s critical to stay level-headed by doing the following: 

  • Stay outside. It’s only natural that you want to run inside to see what happened. Don’t. There’s a chance someone is still there.
  • Call the police immediately.  Keep yourself and others safely away and hold tight until . Work with the police to file a report. 
  • Avoid touching anything. Let officers take charge and do their job.  

What Are The Next Steps?

You’ve spoken with law enforcement, and it’s safe to go back inside. What should you do next? 

  • Cancel credit cards and call banks . If a burglar snagged purses, wallets, or personal documents, you’ll wish to notify your credit card issuers and banks at once. It’s smart to put a hold on accounts and your credit. You may also request a fraud alert with the three main credit bureaus.
  • Contact your insurer. Initiate a claim with your insurance company. This needs to be done within one day of the break-in. 
  • Take photos of the damage. Document broken windows, forced doors, and any other damage you find.
  • Document what is missing. Write down what’s been stolen and provide it to the police and your insurance provider.
  • Secure your home. Get your home secured by installing new locks, fixing doors and windows, and addressing remaining damage. If you have a keypad lock system, now is the time to update your codes.

Getting your home back in order will do wonders for your stress and restore a sense of normalcy. After you’re done, it’s time to start thinking improving your home security.

Assess And Improve The Security At Your Sacramento Home

How can you keep this from happening again? Your initial step should be to assess your home’s security. A new system with these devices will work wonders in keeping your home safe: 

  • Surveillance cameras: Just about all trespassers will reconsider their plans when they see video cameras. Newer exterior and doorbell cameras give you advanced capabilities like smart detection. When there’s questionable activity, you’ll get a notification. 
  • Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (particularly those on the ground level) should be shielded by contact or glass-break sensors.
  • Smart locks and lights: These automated components can be controlled from anywhere. Worried you forgot to lock up? You can check and operate the lock right from your smartphone. You can even have inside lights turn on if a camera spots someone lurking.

If you are looking for a connected system that notifies you and monitoring staff any time a sensor or camera is triggered, look into a package from the home security leaders at ADT. You’ll enjoy the smartphone access, 24/7 monitoring, and custom automation.

Stop Break-Ins With The Best Home Security In Sacramento

Stop burglaries at your property with an ADT home security system in Sacramento from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As an authorized ADT dealer, we install advanced equipment from the most respected name in the business. Explore your options by dialing (916) 407-0556 or submitting our form today.

Start the Home Security Quote Quiz to See Instant ADT System Suggestions