---
title: What is the Difference Between Breaking & Entering and Trespassing?
description: When it comes to the security of your organization, there’s also often confusion between what breaking & entering (B&E) and trespassing are. To help you better understand these charges, we are going to look at each in more depth. 
image: https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/hubfs/Band%20E.png
---

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# What is the Difference Between Breaking & Entering and Trespassing?

![Joe Wilson](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2024%20Website/Images/joe-blog-avatar.png?width=50&height=50&name=joe-blog-avatar.png)

 by [Joe Wilson](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/blog/author/joe-wilson)

November 07, 2022

![Band E](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Band%20E.png?width=1200&height=600&name=Band%20E.png)In a recent blog, we discussed [the difference between breaking & entering, robbery and theft](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/blog/the-difference-between-break-enter-robbery-and-theft). While knowing these terms isn’t going to automatically help enhance your organization’s security solution, it can help you to gain a better idea of the security technology you need to better protect your business.

When it comes to [the security of your organization](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/security-solutions), there’s also often confusion between what breaking & entering (B&E) and trespassing are. To help you better understand these charges, we are going to look at each in more depth. 

**What is breaking & entering?**

Breaking & entering is when someone enters your private property with the intent to commit a criminal offense, such as theft or assault. It also includes someone breaking out of private property after committing an offense. 

Generally, criminals break & enter into homes or businesses, but a B&E can also include breaking into a trailer or a pen containing animals, etc. For those breaking & entering a residence, the criminal can serve up to life in prison. If the B&E is related to property that is not a residential home, such as a business, the maximum sentence is generally 10 years, though sometimes the B&E will be categorized as a less serious offense, resulting in lesser sentencing. 

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**What is trespassing? **

Trespassing, on the other hand, is entering someone else’s private property without permission or the right to enter it. Trespassing also occurs when someone fails to leave property that they have been asked to leave or when someone engages in prohibited activities on the property. 

In Canada, each province has trespass legislation. Sentencing for trespassing will depend on whether the crime involved malicious purposes. In addition to trespassing, you can also be charged with Criminal Code offenses, including mischief and B&E. 

**Protecting your business from breaking & entering and trespassing with verified security**

If you own a business or organization that you want to protect from trespassing, B&Es and other crime, then you should consider installing [Sonitrol verified security](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/sonitrol-verified-alarms-vs-conventional-alarms). 

Our unique verified audio and video CCTV security systems enables our operators to see and hear everything that’s happening on, and around, your business’s premises before the criminals gain entry! This means we can verify the actual source of the alarm, before contacting the authorities. If it is a false alarm, the system will be reset to avoid any false dispatches. If there is a crime in progress, police will be contacted, and real-time updates will be provided to increase response times and apprehension rates.

In addition, we offer 100% coverage of your business and do not have an audible alarm that warns criminals that they’ve been detected (or alert them to the fact that they have limited time to commit the intended crime before police arrive). This means that police can catch the criminals before they escape or do additional damage. 

Because of this ability to verify alarms, Sonitrol has [the highest apprehension rate](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/criminal-captures), the lowest false alarm rate in the industry and significantly lower police response time than conventional CCTV security systems. 

Without verification, it can take police upwards of 45 minutes to respond. A private security guard can verify the alarm, but guards are costly, and this approach still can result in delays averaging 17 minutes. With Sonitrol’s audio and/or video surveillance the average response time for a Sonitrol alarm is just 3.5 minutes! 

For more information on how Sonitrol can protect your business or organization from B&Es, trespass and more, [get a free security plan with our team of experts today](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/free-commercial-security-plan-for-your-business-is-your-cctv-system-working-and-is-your-business-secure). 

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![Joe Wilson](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2024%20Website/Images/joe-blog-avatar.png?width=50&height=50&name=joe-blog-avatar.png)

Post by [Joe Wilson](https://www.sonitrolwesterncanada.com/blog/author/joe-wilson)  
 November 07, 2022

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