Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Robbery vs Burglary

Okay... climbing on my soap box.

HEY... You police show writers... YES YOU... listen up!

There is a HUGE difference between robbery and burglary.  It is one thing when a citizen calls up to say they got robbed, and after a couple questions we know it was a burglary.

BUT, even if you are an over-worked wordsmith, at least get the terminology right when it is a police official (whether officer or detective or dispatcher or member of the brass) is talking about a burglary, they don't tell another LEO about a "robbery" when it was a BURGLARY. 

A writer is someone who uses words, hopefully in the correct context, to educate and entertain a reader.  So learn the correct usage between Robbery and Burglary.

I love watching cop shows (I am a die-hard lover of all the CSI shows except CSI: Miami and of course Blue Bloods as I am still lusting after Tom Selleck 30 years later).  But to watch them mis-use the comparison of robbery versus burglary, well... I yell at the screen.  And wish I could boot the bootie of the writer of the scene.

So listen up you scene writers!!  Get the terminology correct.!

  That felt good.  A little yelling never hurt anyone, right?  Okay, time to climb off the soap box and get back to work.

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