How To Respond to an Intruder Alert 

For most Americans, their home is their safe haven, a sanctuary away from the troubles of the world, where stress and outside worries should be left at the doorstep. Unfortunately, many homeowners who have experienced an intruder or burglary no longer consider their homes safe. 

Sadly, the number of people who have experienced this type of intrusion or theft is staggering! 

According to the FBI, a thief enters a home every 30 seconds in the United States. That’s roughly two robberies each minute and over 3,000 burglaries every day. Over the course of a typical year, 2.5 million Americans have their homes burglarized, a majority of which occur during daylight hours. 

While it may be unpleasant to think about and almost unfathomable to consider, do you know how to respond if you are faced with an intruder in your home? 

Let’s go over a few things that may help in case you face this scary scenario. 

Steps To Take Should You Have a Home Intruder

Since many home burglaries occur during daytime hours, it is not inconceivable that you may be home during a break-in. According to the FBI, most burglars don’t intentionally choose targets when residents are home, so they’re surprised to discover people in the house and often escape without incident.

Should this not be the case let’s consider this.

You hear a noise, something unusual for your home’s regular creaks and groans. You begin to suspect that you are not alone and no one is expected home. What do you do? 

If you do suspect that someone has unlawfully entered your home, a few key actions could keep you safe until help arrives. 

Verify the Presence of an Intruder 

If possible, determine if your “internal radar” is accurate and that there is indeed an intruder in your home. If safe to do so, investigate the noise that has alerted you to the burglar. If it is not safe or you don’t feel comfortable doing that go to the next step. 

Determine If Escape Is Possible 

At this point, your heart may be racing and your mind may be in fight-or-flight mode. Make an attempt to stay calm by taking a few deep breaths that will help you think straight in this harrowing situation. 

If it is at all possible to leave your home without alerting the intruder, do so. Look for windows, doors, or even an escape ladder that could get you to safety. 

Stay Out of Sight 

If escaping your home is not an option, remain as calm as possible and find a place to stay put until you can alert the authorities. A bathroom, bedroom, closet, or location where you can lock and barricade the door is best. 

Unless you are trained in tactical weapon use in a high-stress environment, avoid reaching for your gun or weapon of any kind as it could be used against you by the intruder.

If there are other family members in the house with you, alert them to the situation and stay out of sight together. 

Alert the Authorities 

Once you have found a safe space, call 911 and give as much information as possible about the situation. This may include telling the police where you are hiding and a description of the assailant. If there are other members of your family in the home, try to give a detailed description as to where they are hiding as well. This will help police in determining who is friendly and who is the assailant.

The dispatcher may ask you to remain silent but to stay on the line with them in order to give important information as the scenario unfolds. 

Follow Instructions 

This incredibly unnerving situation hopefully never occurs in your home, but should it, follow the instructions of the authorities during the situation as well as in the moments immediately following. 

Instant Alarm can help protect your home from this type of scenario. Take a look at our home security systems that can operate 24/7 with a monitoring station ready to help in any emergency situation.