If you’ve just been burgled, call police immediately to report it and get a case number, then secure or temporarily repair any damaged doors before nightfall. Don’t touch broken locks or frames until you’ve photographed the damage. If you suspect the intruder is still inside, leave and call Triple Zero on 000. Once the scene is safe, arrange a locksmith for stolen or compromised keys.
TL;DR:
- Temporary fixes like boarding up shattered doors and installing internal bolts can hold the property overnight, but they do not address underlying vulnerabilities.
- Replacing locks is essential if keys were stolen, with deadlocks or upgraded locking systems offering better security than rekeying alone.
- Permanent upgrades such as security screens and custom doors with Australian standards significantly reduce the risk of repeat burglaries.
- Visible deterrents like alarm signage, cameras, and motion-sensor lighting decrease the likelihood of offenders targeting a home.
- A comprehensive documentation process, including photos, receipts, and police case numbers, speeds up insurance claims and recovery efforts.
Table of Contents
- After burglary door security: what to do in the first 24 to 48 hours
- Same-day fixes to secure your doors right now
- Should you replace or rekey your locks?
- Permanent door and screen upgrades worth considering
- Do alarms and cameras actually stop a second break-in?
- What documentation do police and insurers actually need?
- How do you stop it happening again?
- Who should you call, and in what order?
- Why door security is never really “finished”
- Getting your doors properly secured after a break-in
- Sources
- FAQ
After burglary door security: what to do in the first 24 to 48 hours
The order you tackle things in matters almost as much as the actions themselves. Rushing to fix a door before police have seen it can cost you evidence; waiting too long to secure the property invites a second break-in. Here’s the sequence worth following.
- Confirm you’re safe first. If there’s any chance the offender is still on the property, leave immediately and call 000. Police will tell you what’s safe to touch once they arrive.
- Report the burglary and get a case number. Local police need to log the incident, and this reference number becomes essential paperwork later.
- Avoid touching the scene. Even a hand on a doorknob can smudge evidence police need, so hold off on cleaning or moving anything until you’ve been cleared to.
- Photograph everything before you repair anything. Forced locks, splintered frames, broken glass. Get it on camera while it’s still in its damaged state.
- Call your insurer early. Most policies cover emergency repairs, and starting the claim now speeds up everything that follows.
- Line up a 24/7 locksmith or emergency tradesperson if a door won’t close properly or keys have gone missing.
Victoria Police’s guidance on preventing home burglaries reinforces this order for good reason. Evidence gets weaker the longer a scene sits, and a home left insecure overnight is a home offenders may return to.
Same-day fixes to secure your doors right now
You don’t need a tradesperson on-site within the hour to stop your home being an easy target again tonight. A few temporary measures buy you time until permanent repairs are booked.
- Board up any door with a shattered panel or forced frame using plywood or a heavy-duty tarp and screws, not just tape.
- Slide an internal bolt or security bar across if the main lock is compromised but the door itself still closes.
- For damaged sliding doors, a length of dowel in the track plus zip ties through the frame holes stops the door being lifted off its rail.
- Sweep and safely bag broken glass, and block that opening completely rather than leaving a gap “just for tonight.”
- Ask any emergency tradesperson for photo ID and a licence number before they start work, and get a written quote or invoice.
Pro Tip: Keep every receipt and photo in one folder from day one. RACV’s advice on what to do after a burglary notes that emergency locksmiths and boarding services commonly issue receipts on the spot, and insurers will want to see them alongside your damage photos.
Should you replace or rekey your locks?
If a key was stolen, replace the lock outright rather than rekeying it. Rekeying only makes sense when you’re fairly confident no key left the property but you want peace of mind anyway. Either way, this isn’t a job to put off. RACV’s post-burglary advice specifically flags replacing compromised locks and upgrading to deadlocks as one of the fastest ways to cut the risk of it happening again.
- Choose deadlocks or a three-point locking system over a standard single-point latch.
- Ask your locksmith whether Australian-standard fittings apply to your door type.
- Consider keyed-alike external doors. This keeps every entry on one key without weakening security, which matters if you need a fast exit in an emergency.
- Get a written receipt and any workmanship warranty before the locksmith leaves.
Permanent door and screen upgrades worth considering
Temporary fixes buy time. They don’t fix the underlying weakness that let someone in, whether that’s a hollow-core door, a flimsy frame, or hinges that were never built to resist force. This is where a proper security screen or custom door earns its keep over a hardware-store patch job.
Material choice changes both performance and how the door looks. Aluminium suits most street-facing doors and comes in a wide range of finishes. Steel offers more mass for high-risk entry points. Stainless steel resists corrosion in coastal or high-humidity settings where other metals eventually pit or discolour.
A typical consultation involves someone measuring your existing frame, checking for hinge and jamb weaknesses you might not notice yourself, and quoting a manufacture and install timeline, often faster than homeowners expect once a design is settled.
- Ask whether the door or screen you’re considering complies with recognised Australian security screen standards.
- Check hinge reinforcement and lock alignment, not just the mesh or panel itself.
- Request the quote in writing along with expected manufacturing lead time.
This isn’t just about aesthetics or convenience. Program evaluations of targeted security upgrades found that combining door repairs, security screens, alarms and cameras measurably reduced repeat victimisation among households that had already been burgled once.
Do alarms and cameras actually stop a second break-in?
Monitored alarm systems get a faster response because a control room contacts you and, if needed, police the moment a sensor trips, making them a strong choice among various security system alternatives. Self-monitored systems cost less and still send you a phone alert, but the response speed depends entirely on you noticing and acting on it.
Camera placement matters more than camera quality. A unit facing your front door catches faces and forced entry attempts; one tucked under an eave pointed at your letterbox catches very little useful footage.
- Cover every entry point, including side gates and back doors, not just the front.
- Save footage off-site or to cloud storage so it survives if the recorder itself is stolen.
- Keep alarm signage visible. Research into improving home security points to visible deterrents like cameras and signage as genuinely effective at putting off opportunistic offenders before they try a door at all.
- Test batteries and sensors monthly. A flat backup battery defeats the whole system silently.
What documentation do police and insurers actually need?
Insurers move faster on claims when the paperwork is complete the first time, so it pays to build this file methodically rather than scrambling for receipts weeks later.
- Photograph every forced entry point: broken locks, cracked frames, pried hinges, shattered glass.
- Record serial numbers, purchase receipts or rough valuations for anything stolen.
- Save CCTV footage to a separate device or cloud account immediately, before a recorder is reset or overwritten.
- Contact police for a case number as soon as it’s safe to do so. Insurers routinely require this before they’ll process a home or contents claim.
- Submit locksmith and tradesperson quotes alongside your claim, and keep everything in one chronological folder.
A tidy file rarely speeds up the emotional recovery from a burglary, but it does mean you’re not hunting for a hardware receipt from three weeks ago when your insurer calls.
How do you stop it happening again?
Most repeat break-ins share a pattern: the same vulnerabilities that let someone in the first time are still there the second time. ACT Policing’s home security guidance notes that most burglaries happen during the day and target unlocked doors or open windows, which makes basic vigilance surprisingly effective.
- Trim shrubs and hedges near entry points so there’s nowhere to crouch unseen.
- Install motion-sensor lighting along the path to every external door.
- Let a trusted neighbour know what happened and ask them to flag anything unusual.
- Lock internal doors as well as external ones, particularly to garages and side entries.
- Store passports, financial documents and spare keys somewhere less obvious than a hallway drawer, since police guidance flags stolen documents as a real identity-theft risk after a break-in.
Who should you call, and in what order?
Call 000 only if there’s danger right now or the offender may still be present. For everything else, your local police non-emergency line takes the initial report.
- Ask any locksmith or emergency tradesperson for ID, a licence number, and proof of insurance before they start.
- Request a written quote or invoice for every job, even urgent same-day ones.
- If the burglary has left you shaken, ask police about local victim support referrals. Most jurisdictions offer them as a standard part of the reporting process.
Why door security is never really “finished”
Here’s what gets missed in most burglary advice: securing your doors after a break-in isn’t a single afternoon’s task you tick off and forget. It’s closer to an ongoing habit, the same way locking your car became automatic after you did it enough times. The households that avoid a repeat break-in are usually the ones that kept adjusting, not the ones that installed one deadlock and considered the job done.
We’d also push back gently on the instinct to go straight for the cheapest fix. A $40 hardware-store bolt might hold for a few months, but it does nothing for the hinge side of the door, which is where a lot of forced entries actually happen. Pairing better locks with a properly fitted security screen or custom door closes that gap in a way a bolt alone can’t.
— MYBMC
Getting your doors properly secured after a break-in
Once the immediate scramble settles, the real work is deciding what permanent upgrade actually closes the gap an intruder found. A company runs free on-site consultations, measuring your existing frames, checking hinge strength, and quoting custom aluminium, steel or stainless steel security doors built to fit your home rather than a generic size off a shelf.
If your existing screen or door was damaged during the break-in, the security screen and fly door repair service can often get you back to a properly secured entry faster than waiting on a full replacement build. For homes needing a wider upgrade, the aluminium security doors range and stainless steel security door options both come with a fast turnaround and a 10-year warranty. Have your address, door measurements and any insurer reference number ready, then book a consultation to get a quote moving.
Sources
- What to do after a burglary | RACV
- Prevent home burglaries | Victoria Police
- What to do after a burglary | Allianz Australia
- Evaluation of the SafeHome burglary prevention program (peer-reviewed evidence)
FAQ
How do I secure my door from intruders after a break-in?
Start with a temporary fix, such as boarding a damaged panel or bolting a compromised lock shut, then book a locksmith for same-day lock replacement if keys were stolen. Follow up with a permanent upgrade like a deadlock or a custom security screen once the immediate risk is handled.
How long do burglars typically stay inside a house?
Most burglars aim to be in and out within minutes, which is why they usually target the fastest, quietest entry point rather than searching room by room. This is also why unlocked doors and open windows are disproportionately common entry points; they save the offender time.
What do burglars avoid or dislike most?
Visible deterrents like alarm signage, active cameras and motion-sensor lighting put off opportunistic offenders before they attempt entry, according to RACV’s home security research. Anything that increases noise, time, or the chance of being seen tends to send them elsewhere.
What’s the single best deterrent against burglary?
There’s no one guaranteed deterrent, but a combination of a solid, well-locked door, visible lighting and monitoring generally works better than any single measure alone. Programs pairing security upgrades with assessment and follow-up have shown measurable drops in repeat break-ins.
Do I need a police report to make an insurance claim?
Yes, most insurers require a police case number before they’ll process a home or contents claim tied to a burglary. Report the incident as soon as it’s safe, and keep that reference number with your other claim documents.