Difference between Burglary and Robbery

As a security guard or security officer, you need to clearly understand the difference between burglary and robbery.

There are several differences between these two.

Burglary vs Robbery, the circumstances make them differ

Robbery and burglary are both criminal offenses that involve theft. The circumstances that surround these offenses make the difference in their definitions.

Burglary:

A burglary happens, when an individual enters a building or properly without permission in order to commit another offense, such as theft or felony. However, entering the properly without permission even if there is no theft, itself is a felony.

The structure unlawfully entered by the perpetrator can be any building types including businesses, personal homes, garden sheds, barns, coops or other properties such as boats, aircraft, trucks or cars.

Even when a person who has permission to enter part of a house, but not another part, it is still a burglary if they break-in and enter (by any means, even using a key) a room where they are not permitted, so long as the room was not open to enter.

Robbery:

Robbery involves theft of money or property through the use of threat of violence against a person or property (like threatening to damage your car if you donot pay).

Essentially for a robbery to occur, the victim must be present when it happens.
Compared this, in the case of burglary, the victim may never be confronted by the perpetrator, unless the proceeding crime is assault, murder, or kidnapping.

Robbery can occur with a single victim or, in cases like bank hold ups, multiple victims.

Robbery and Presence of Weapon:

In many cases, the robber may carry a weapon, which would then be an armed robbery. But for a robbery to occur the presence of a weapon is not necessary.