Experiencing a break-in is nothing short of a nightmare. The invasion of your personal space shakes you to your core, and the next logical step is catching the perpetrator. But let’s get this straight: This is high-stakes stuff, folks.
I’ve consulted with seasoned detectives and cybersecurity experts, drawing on years of collective experience to break down your best options for identifying and assisting in the capture of a home intruder. We’re talking actionable advice that even law enforcement agencies would nod at approvingly.
In this no-nonsense guide, you’ll get step-by-step directions that could dramatically amp up the odds of police nabbing the invader. But please, exercise caution—your safety is paramount.
Ready to turn the tables and take the first steps in reclaiming your peace of mind? Let’s dive in.
Follow these steps to increase your chances of finding out who broke into your house:
- File a police report
- Look for any objects/items that are moved from their original place
- Try not to disturb the crime scene
- Install a camera system
- Install tracking apps on your laptop, phone, etc
- Hide mini GPS tracking devices in your valuables
- Check websites that sell goods like Craigslist
- Take photos of all the serials of your electronics (keep proof of purchase)
- Check your local pawnshops
File A Police Report
Filling a police report would be among the first things you need to do after finding out a robbery has taken place. Try to be as thorough as you possibly can with your statement as it does help the police greatly when they attend to your case.
Reporting the crime also updates the police of new or increasing activities in or around the area, which in return increases the chances to serve justice. It also increases the national database or can be used to help with the case investigation.
Keeping yourself calm is also very important as you can easily make a mistake or overthink what you write in your report.
Look For Any Objects/Items That Are Moved From Their Original Place
As you know your homes/apartments the best, you need to take note if something’s gone or moved from its original spot, it must have been moved by the robbers, there is a possibility the police can find some fingerprints to run through their database.
Taking note of all the changes in your house after the robbery compared to how it was before the robbery is going to help a lot in finding the criminal.
In the end, finding out who broke into your house might lead to finding your stolen goods as well.
Try Not To Disturb The Crime Scene
Try your best not to disturb the crime the scene as it can provide the police with more information than you think.
Just a drop of sweat or blood can ultimately put someone behind bars for their crimes. They sometimes cut themselves while struggling with something during the break-in or skyrocketing nerves causing them to sweat. DNA evidence is used more and more often in court cases.
There might even be evidence not seen by your untrained eye. To a police officer with years of experience, one scene can tell a thousand stories, and one that may lead to finding the person that broke into your home, so never disturb the scene unless it a have to.
However, make sure to clean it all up after the police have what they need so that you can get your life back to normal.
Install A Camera System
In today’s technologically driven age there are many camera types to choose from.
Standard CCTV systems offered by companies that store video footage that you can access at any time to DIY smart cameras that can easily be viewed with your phone and footage can be shared instantly if you want to.
Remember to hide the cameras well so as not to alert the burglar and maybe have them cause more damage to your property or even steal your cameras.
Place them strategically at the right angles so you can get the best footage but also hidden in plain sight.
The footage can then be looked at by the police and hopefully find anything of use to further their investigation, it does typically help a lot as it can give a face, markings, time, etc.
These things are crucial to any case because it opens more leads to finding the person.
Install Tracking Apps On Your Laptop, Phone, Etc
Installing a working tracking application on your laptop, mobile phone, tablet, and any other device that can work with a tracking application is also one of today’s impressive technological advantages.
This allows you to track your property to almost the exact location so that you can share the information with the police.
Never try to investigate or take the situation into your own hands, it can go wrong and can land up making the situation even worse. Don’t try to apprehend suspects, rather report what you know to the police.
Hide Mini GPS Tracking Devices In Your Valuables
Hiding mini GPS tracking devices in valuables such as laptop bags, handbags, and backpacks can be very helpful as you can get live tracking with these mini GPS tracking devices that are available on Amazon.
The prices of these are rather reasonable, considering you will only need two or more of them, depending on how many things you would like to have a tracking device. I still think they are well priced regardless of how many are needed.
These mini GPS tracking devices can surely add to finding who broke into your house. So try to hide them as best possible, you don’t want it noticed by the burglar and destroyed before getting any kind of specific location to provide to the police.
Check Websites That Sell Goods Like Craigslist
Often people that get robbed of there property come across some of their possessions for sale on websites where you can list products for sale or buy something you fancy.
If you see any of your things for sale, you will need some sort of proof that it belongs to you. That is where the police report comes in handy as you will be listing these missing goods in the story. And can lead to you finding the person that stole your property.
Always try and be as sure as possible that the listed item is yours, and you have the proof that it is. That’s where step number 8 comes in.
Take Photos Of The Serials Of Your Electronics (Keep Proof Of Purchase)
Having photos as proof of your property and its serial numbers might seem like too much, but it’s needed to help you in a situation where you need to prove that it is your property that is either being sold online or at some secondhand store.
These photos also need to be added to the report that you give to the police. This can help them find your goods even faster than you can as they have a bigger network of people working solely on your case.
So I’m genuinely a believer in keeping records like receipts and photos of all my valuables. And even photos of the receipts in case something happens to the receipts.
Having a list and photos of all your valuables will help immensely with your insurance claim if you had your stolen goods covered.
Check Your Local Pawnshops
The last way in which you can find the person that broke into your house is by going to all the local pawnshops or secondhand stores.
These shops require you to give a form of identification before selling anything to them.
So you might want to pop into a few nearby and see if you can spot any of your belongings.
If you do happen to find any of your property, you can get the cops involved so they can investigate as the store owner will have a copy of the seller’s ID card.
Conclusion: How To Find Out Who Broke Into Your House
There’s no guaranteed method of finding the thief who broke into your house but applying the advice in this article will give you the best possible chance of finding the robber and/or your stolen property.
Take this time as an opportunity to upgrade your security and install some additional cameras and lights around your property. Invest in an alarm system for your house with window and door sensors.
If your house has some of these security measures in place, most burglars will rather choose a different house to take advantage of.
You’re no longer just a victim—you’re an informed citizen with the tools to make a real impact. Use this guide responsibly and help make your community a safer place.
Until next time, stay vigilant, stay safe, and as always—thank you for being an amazing reader who takes action. 🌟
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