It is a type of crime that worries the State Security Forces very much, because citizens, not only suffer an economic loss, but they are also psychological victims with depressions, post-traumatic stress, anxiety pictures, etc.
With the aim of reducing the number of thefts in homes during the summer, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior has launched a prevention campaign and has set up the website www.micasaasalvo.com, where, in a didactic way, they are offered basic recommendations to avoid theft and citizen collaboration is requested. Keep calm, inform the police and wander as little as possible around the house to avoid touching anything are the main tips to follow, once the thieves have plundered a home.
What to do in the face of a home robbery
1. Do not enter the house:
If you suspect that the thieves are still in the house, when, arriving at an address, the door of the house is open, the lock appears forced or there is a broken window, it is necessary to avoid entering it, you have to get out of there as soon as possible and call the police from a neighbour’s house or from your mobile. Avoid any unnecessary risks, if you surprised the thieves in full robbery, the direct confrontation with them is discouraged, since many times they are people who have a wide criminal record, who act in desperation and who can be armed or very violent. In these cases, it is best to collaborate with thieves.
2. Call the police:
Yes, here in Spain we have various police number so call any of the following, should the number be engaged call the next one, the sooner you phone, before the crime can be resolved. General Emergencies (+34 112) the National Police (+34 091), the Civil Guard (+34 062), Once the security forces arrived at the address, we must transmit any information, however insignificant, that may serve to clarify the event.
3. Do not touch anything:
It is necessary to avoid access inside the house until the police arrive, since evidences can be destroyed. It is best not to touch any object when the theft is discovered and leave everything as it was to facilitate the police investigation work and the scientific team, which will look for traces of the thieves. The most convenient thing is for the house to be as the thief left it, in order to avoid hindering the investigation of the theft and to avoid erasing the possible clues that the thief may have left.
4. Make an inventory of stolen items:
Once the security forces allow free access to the house, we must examine each room, in addition to making a list as complete as possible with everything that has been stolen or damaged. If you have invoices or documents that prove the stolen objects, you must also include them, as they will be very useful for insurance companies. This inventory of objects that are missing, together with an estimate of their value, will complement the report that must be presented to the Police.
For its part, the theft of passports or driver's licenses must be brought to the attention of the police as soon as possible.
5. Formalize a complaint:
Within 72 hours after the theft, you must go to a police station to file a denouncement (“Poner una denuncia”). In it, it is necessary to state the company with which you have contracted the home insurance and indicate, in detail, the damage suffered in the house, missing objects, etc. In addition, a copy of the report must be requested and submitted to the insurance company, as proof of what happened. The denouncement is an essential document that insurers require to proceed to assess the damages.
In order to locate the stolen property, it is essential to attach any purchase tickets, photographs or descriptions of the stolen objects to the complaint. Although recovering what is stolen is difficult, if this series of data is provided it will be much easier for the police bodies to follow the trail of the objects. If, at first, you have not been able to provide all the data, documentation or any detail of interest, you can extend the complaint a few days later.
6. Inform the bank:
Credit cards are one of the objects most sought after by thieves, according to security experts. If a credit card or a check book is missing, the bank must be notified promptly so that it can make the necessary cancellations. If, in addition, the thieves have taken the computer, disks, USB memories or any other digital or electronic support that may contain relevant information about financial data, we must also inform the entity so that it cancels the passwords and accesses to Online banking.
7. Give notice to the insurance company:
When you have contracted a home insurance, you should contact the insurance company as soon as possible and take the corresponding claim. Once this has been done, the company's expert will appear at the address to make a survey and evaluate the damage. You have to have at hand the list of stolen objects, with invoices and supporting documents. According to the insurance that has been hired, the usual thing is that you can claim on the stolen or damaged objects (the content) and on the damage to your home, such as broken windows, forced doors, etc. (the continent).
In any case, in order to claim the stolen goods from the insurer, you must present the documents that prove them as such. In general, it is enough to provide a receipt or the guarantee of the article.
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