lockpicking should be at least a theft crime

[vatas]

Irl lockpicking is considered breaking and entering, whereas just entering is trespassing.

The lock also stays irl, but breaking into a place is by no means an innocent act where trespassing could be.

Rummaging simply means looking into something. Picking a lock is not simply looking into something. You're bypassing a security feature by force. I'd call it vandalism.

Reminds me of how United Kingdom's lenient squatter protection laws (intended to disincentivize just leaving buildings vacant, wasting the space they occupy) were exploited so blatantly that they had to be repealed or severely reformed.

They simply had person A lockpick or break a lock to a building, then leave without entering. Then person B comes to the same building, presumably exclaims loudly "Oh look, an abandoned building!" and starts squatting (almost invariably inviting dozen other people who usually start making a huge mess the moment the eviction process starts.)

[Zephroze]

Essentially give people an inch and they will take a mile.

The reason picking a lock is a more severe crime is because of the implications it has on the next actions taken.

Yes of course you're not actually damaging the lock, and you can just clip it back shut. Picking a lock on its own is simply rummaging. The implication is that you are not picking a lock simply to enjoy your freedom, and if so, just buy one from the store.

You are picking that lock to gain unlawful access to the contents. Why do you want access to the contents? Simply to look at them? "I was only looking officer" "I just wanted to see what's inside this building"

The implications of the action should weigh heavily on the consequences.