What should I do if my home is broken into?

Quicktips

  • Call police on 110 (toll-free emergency number)

  • Download `stolen goods` list

  • Make use of advisory service

Situation

Having your home broken into can be a terrible shock for the victim. A feeling of insecurity, as well as other psychological effects, can be more traumatic than the material loss or damage. Unfortunately, burglaries can happen at any time of the day or night.

Our experience shows that you can protect your property from break-in: more than a third of all attempted break-ins are abandoned because the property was well protected.

What can you do?

Call the police immediately on 110 (toll-free emergency number)

Do not enter the property, on no account tidy up or touch any thing until the police have inspected the scene.

If you suspect that the perpetrator(s) might still be in your house or flat, call the police immediately and then go to a safe place, watch your property and await the arrival of police officers.

In case you have already entered the property, try to remember which rooms you have entered and try to recall what you have touched.

Make a thorough list of everything that has been stolen, so that your property can be returned to you, if found. A form – Stehlgutliste- is available to download on the police website.

What happens next?

The police will give you a case number which you will need when you contact your insurance company, and also for later contact with the police.

It can happen that the police will remove items from your home on which they hope to find traces of the perpetrator. These items will be returned to you after examination.

When the police have finished their investigation they will pass the case on to the public prosecution service. You will then be informed by the public prosecutor of the outcome of the case..

Please check out the Bremerhaven police force website for more information on this subject. Click on the link `Einbruchschutz`.