Journal

Do them in this order. Tap the number when a step is done, and the app writes down the time.

1. 1

   Record the opening on video

   Your name, the date, the exact time, the full address, and whether anyone has gone in since the police left.

   Open the camera
2. 2

   Walk every room in silence

   Every light on. The full view from each corner. Zoom in on damage. Don’t talk.

3. 3

   Save the video and back it up

   Keep the original on this phone, and a copy in your own cloud account.

   Where is the backup?
4. 4

   Find the warrant papers. Don’t read anything yet

   They are usually left on the kitchen table. Look only for the inventory, the list of what they took.

   Where were they?

   Photograph them
5. 5

   Compare the inventory with what was there

   Be specific. Don’t make anything up. If you don’t know, don’t worry. Write it in the tables below.

   What is missing
6. 6

   Then stop, and decompress

   Get something to eat. If your loved one can be visited and you want to see them, go. Don’t hire a lawyer yet, and don’t talk to agents. Cleaning up can wait.

Anything that is gone and isn’t on their list. Property is broad: pets, guns, keepsakes, photos. Be precise and invent nothing. A blank is better than a guess.

Anything damaged in the search, like walls, doors, locks or furniture. Say where it is, and whether it is in the video.

A blank is better than a guess. If someone else told you, write who in the notes below.

Saves on this phone as you type