What to Do After Someone Tries to Break Into Your House: A Colorado Springs Locksmith's Checklist

If someone tried to break into your house and did not get in, first make sure they are gone: if you think they might still be nearby, call 911 and do not go looking for them. Then photograph every mark before you touch anything, report the attempt to the police even though nothing was taken, and check each door and window for damage. A failed attempt almost always leaves a weaker door behind, a bent strike plate, a split jamb or a cylinder that no longer turns smoothly, so the last step is to fix that weak point before anyone tries again.

Attempted break-ins have been in the Colorado Springs news this fall. On October 27, police were called to a reported burglary off Weber Street, north of downtown, and asked people nearby to shelter in place while officers responded. On November 2, the Gazette reported that police had arrested a woman who allegedly went door to door on South Claremont Street, near Pikes Peak Avenue, trying to get into several homes. Most attempts never make the news. The people who call us usually found pry marks on a door the next morning, or heard someone try the handle late at night.

Step 1: Make Sure You Are Safe

• If someone may still be on the property, call 911. Stay inside behind a locked door, or leave and go to a neighbor's house if that is safer. Do not confront anyone.
• If the attempt happened while you were out, look at the doors from outside before you go in. If a door is open or the frame is broken, do not enter. Call the police from your car or a neighbor's house.
• If you only find the marks later, it is not an emergency, but it still needs a report.

Step 2: Photograph Everything Before You Touch It

Take close-up and wide photos of every mark: scratches around the lock, dents in the door edge, splinters in the frame, a screen pulled off a window, footprints in a window well. Put a coin or a key next to the smaller marks for scale. Save any video from doorbell or security cameras, and ask your neighbors to check theirs for the same night. Do not wipe, repaint or tighten anything yet. The police and your insurance company will both want to see it as it was.

Step 3: Report It, Even If Nothing Was Taken

A report puts the attempt on record, helps officers connect it to other cases on your street, and gives your insurer a case number if you file a claim for the damage. Inside the city, report to the Colorado Springs Police Department. In unincorporated areas such as Falcon, Black Forest and Security-Widefield, report to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Fountain, Monument and Manitou Springs have their own police departments. Use 911 only for an emergency in progress, and the non-emergency line for marks you found later.

Step 4: Check Every Door and Window Like a Locksmith Would

Most attempted break-ins go after a door, and most of those use force, not lock picking. Here is what we look for when we come out after an attempt:

The door frame and strike plate

Look at the frame next to the deadbolt and the knob. Fresh dents, splinters or paint chips mean someone tried to pry the door open or kick it. Check whether the strike plate is bent or loose, and whether its screws are short ones that only go into the trim. A frame that has been hit once is weaker the second time. Our guide on how to reinforce a door frame against kick-ins explains the fix.

The lock itself

Lock and unlock every door from both sides. If the deadbolt is suddenly hard to throw, the door may have shifted in the frame, or the bolt may be bent. Look at the face of the lock: deep gouges around the keyhole, a cylinder that turns loosely or sticks out further than before, or a drilled hole all mean the lock has been attacked and should be repaired or replaced.

Sliding doors and windows

Check that a sliding patio door still sits in its track and that its latch catches. A slider that rattles or lifts can be popped out from outside. Go round every ground-floor and basement window, including the ones in window wells, and look for bent screens, scratches on the frame and latches that no longer close fully. Our guide on securing basement windows covers the low windows people forget.

The garage and side doors

The side door into the garage and the door from the garage into the house are popular targets because they are out of sight. Check both the same way, and make sure the garage door opener remotes are all where they should be.

Step 5: Fix the Weak Spot They Found

Someone who tried and failed has already learned something about your house. Close the gap before they come back:

• Damaged lock or cylinder: repair or replace it. A lock that has been pried, drilled or forced may still lock today and fail next week.
• Weak frame or strike plate: fit a heavy-duty strike plate with screws long enough to reach the framing behind the jamb.
• Keys you cannot account for: a missing spare, a key on a lost ring, a key a former roommate or contractor had. Lock rekeying makes every old key useless without replacing the hardware.
• A door with only a knob lock: add a proper deadbolt installation with a full one-inch throw.
• The front or back door that was targeted: consider high-security locks that resist picking, bumping and drilling.

If they did get inside, the job is bigger. Our guide on lock replacement after a break-in covers what to do when someone actually got in.

Step 6: Tell Your Neighbors and Your Insurer

People who try one door on a street often try several, as the Claremont Street calls showed. A quick message to neighbors or a post on your neighborhood group helps them check their own doors and cameras. Then call your homeowners or renters insurance company about the damage. Whether a repair is covered, and whether it is worth claiming against your deductible, depends on your policy, so ask them before you pay for the work.

Simple Habits That Make the Next Attempt Fail

• Lock the doors when you are home, not just when you go out. Several attempts this fall happened while families were inside.
• Light the doors. Since the clocks went back on November 1 it is dark across Colorado Springs before 5pm, which gives anyone at a side or back door more cover. Motion lights over every entry help.
• Keep the garage door closed and the door from the garage into the house locked.
• Before Thanksgiving travel, set lights on timers and ask a neighbor to pick up packages, so the house does not look empty.

When to Call a Locksmith

Call us if a lock is damaged or hard to turn, a frame or strike plate is loose, a key is missing, or you simply want a second pair of eyes on every door after an attempt. Our lock installation and repair in Colorado Springs covers checking, adjusting, repairing and replacing door locks, and we will tell you plainly what needs to be fixed and what does not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I report an attempted break-in if nothing was stolen?

Yes. The report puts the attempt on record, helps police see a pattern on your street, and gives your insurer a case number if you claim for the damage.

How can I tell if someone tried to break into my house?

Look for fresh pry marks or dents on the door edge and frame, a bent or loose strike plate, gouges around the keyhole, a lock that is suddenly hard to turn, a screen pulled off a window, or footprints near a door or window well.

Will a burglar come back after a failed attempt?

They might, especially if the attempt failed only because they were interrupted. Treat the door they tried as a weak spot and fix it quickly, rather than waiting to see.

Do I need new locks after an attempted break-in?

Not always. If the lock works smoothly and shows no damage, it may only need a stronger strike plate and longer screws. If the lock was forced, drilled or now sticks, repair or replace it. If a key may be in the wrong hands, rekey it.