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Burglary Papers

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Burglary Burglary may be defined as the act of entering a structure unlawfully for the purpose of committing a crime. The term structure refers to a business premises, warehouse, private residence or any general building or property. Burglary is not dependent on the use of force to gain illegal access to the property. A burglar does not need to break into and enter a structure. Going through an unlocked door or open window is still defined as burglary. The Federal Bureau of Investigation runs a Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program (McCollister French & Fang, 2010). According to the program, burglary crimes can be further classified into three groups, that is, forcible entry, attempted forcible entry and unlawful entry where the burglar does not use force to enter the property. The UCR program provides helpful statistics that help to illustrate the extent burglary related crimes. According to data from the year 2010, burglaries made up almost a quarter of all the property crimes carried out …show more content…

The burglar may decide to pick a lock or climb through an open window. There does not have to be full entry for one to be guilty of burglary. The most important aspect is that the entry occurs without the consent of the property owner. Initially, burglary was defined as an offence of unauthorized entry into private homes but now a wide range of buildings and structures fall under the definition. The intent to commit a crime in the structure is the third and last element of burglary. It differentiates a burglary from the crime of breaking in. The elements of the crime burglary highlight that the purpose of the law is to protect homes and businesses against such attacks. Burglary safeguards private property by criminalizing unlawful entry where the entrant has the intent to take property (Millie, 2005). This is why it is immaterial whether property is taken or not during a

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