Reply #12: Personally I never believed they were not dangerous

[JohnnyRingo]

That's why there are two levels of crime for breaking into a building.

"Breaking and entering" is for breaking into an unoccupied building, such as a commercial business.

"Burglary" is entering someone's residence, and is dealt with much more harshly because the burglar understands there's always a chance of a violent confrontation. Many professional burglars arrive prepared for that possibility.

I think the vast majority of burglaries involve someone who knows the homeowner personally, and because of familiarity, doesn't fear confrontation. If someone breaks into a home and steals your son's Wii, it was probably just one of his "friends" who knew no one was at home.