After a burglary in Delray Beach: the 30-minute rekey checklist

The instinct after a Delray Beach break-in is to rush to fix everything at once. The right move is the opposite - the first 30 minutes are about sequence, not speed. Premier has run the post-burglary protocol for Delray Beach homeowners since 2013, and the order below is the one that protects the insurance claim, the criminal case, and your sleep that night.

Step 1 (minutes 0 - 5) - Call Delray Beach Police

If the burglary is in progress, dial 911 from outside the home. If the burglary is discovered after the fact (you came home to it), dial 561-243-7800 - Delray Beach Police non-emergency. The dispatcher will send an officer within 10 - 25 minutes typical. Do NOT call a locksmith first. The police report is the foundation of every downstream step - insurance, FBI databases, neighborhood watch alerts, the case itself. Police first, every time.

Step 2 (minutes 5 - 15) - Stay outside until police arrive (if home was empty)

If the home was empty during the burglary and you discovered the entry after, do not go inside. The crime scene matters - evidence on doorknobs, window frames, scattered items. Wait outside, call any household members who might be inside, and let the responding officer clear the home first.

Step 3 (minutes 15 - 30) - Document everything before touching

Once police arrive and clear the home, walk through with the officer and photograph every entry point, every damaged surface, every disturbed area. Five categories to capture:

1. Point of entry (broken window, jimmied door, pried lockset)
2. Damaged hardware (cylinders, deadbolts, strike plates)
3. Missing items (laptops, jewelry, key rings - the burglar may have taken house keys)
4. Disturbed areas (drawers, safes, paper records)
5. Exterior trace evidence (footprints, tool marks, fingerprint dust if collected)

Photos are for the insurance adjuster, not the police - police photograph their own. Your photos make the claim go faster.

Step 4 (minutes 30 - 45) - Call your insurance carrier

Once police have a case number, call your homeowners insurance carrier and open a claim. Give them the police report case number. Get the claim number in return. Ask the adjuster these three questions:

1. Is rekey + lock replacement covered under the burglary loss?
2. What is the dwelling deductible (typically $500 - $2,500)?
3. Can the locksmith bill the carrier directly, or do I pay and submit for reimbursement?

Most Florida carriers (Citizens Property Insurance, Tower Hill, Florida Peninsula, Universal P+C, State Farm, USAA) cover the rekey + lock replacement under the burglary loss. Lockout fees are not covered but emergency rekey usually is.

Step 5 (minutes 45 - 60) - Call Premier

Call Premier Locksmith Delray Beach at (561) 336-6197. Mention "post-burglary" on the call. We will dispatch the closest truck within 15 - 30 minutes anywhere in 33444 - 33484. Tell us:

• The address and the entry point
• The police case number
• The insurance claim number
• Whether keys were taken from inside the home
• How many doors need attention (front, back, garage, pool house, mailbox)

Step 6 (on-site, minutes 60 - 120) - Rekey or replace

Premier walks every exterior door and assesses each:

• Point of entry door - if hardware was damaged during the break-in, replace the lockset entirely. If undamaged (burglar entered through a window, not a forced door), rekey only.
• Other exterior doors - rekey if you have any reason to think a spare key was taken or copied. Replace if hardware shows the burglar attempted entry there too.
• Garage door + side door - rekey or replace. Both are common secondary entry points the burglar may have surveyed.
• Mailbox lock - rekey or replace if the burglar took your mail key (look in the missing-items list).
• Window locks + sliding door locks - inspect; some 33483 sliding-door locks are common to entry attempts.

If you can account for every spare key the previous owners distributed and you trust the existing keyway, rekey is enough. If you cannot - or if a key ring was taken in the burglary - replace the cylinders entirely. Premier carries Schlage F-series, Schlage Primus, Medeco M3, and Mul-T-Lock cylinders on every truck.

Step 7 (same day) - Get the itemized receipt

Premier's itemized receipt includes everything an insurance adjuster needs:

• Date + time of service (post-incident)
• Address serviced
• Police case number (referenced)
• Insurance claim number (referenced)
• Itemized line items (each cylinder, each labor hour, parts list)
• Premier Tax ID + Palm Beach County Locksmith Registration number
• Technician name + signature

Submit the receipt to your carrier within 14 days of the incident. Most Florida carriers reimburse via direct deposit within 14 - 30 days.

Step 8 (next 24 - 48 hours) - Consider the security upgrade

The post-burglary moment is the natural time to upgrade. Common moves that pair well with the rekey:

• Schlage Encode smart lock - $349 installed. Phone notifications on every unlock, code revocation on suspicious access, geo-fence auto-lock.
• Medeco M3 high-security cylinder upgrade - $239 - $389 per cylinder. Anti-pick, anti-drill, anti-bump.
• Reinforced strike plates - $35 - $95 per door. Prevents the next forced-entry attempt.
• Door reinforcement kit (Door Devil or equivalent) - $89 - $145 installed. Heavy steel plate that prevents door-frame kick-in.

Step 9 (within 7 days) - File the documents and follow up

Three closeout actions:

1. Submit the itemized receipt to your insurance carrier with the police case number.
2. Call Delray Beach Police victim services (561-243-7800 ext. victim services) to confirm the case status and ask about FBI database submission for stolen property serial numbers.
3. Update your home inventory list with the rekeyed / replaced hardware - this protects future insurance claims and resale documentation.