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By Matthew Impelli
Life & Trends Reporter
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A new TikTok trend has people reporting that their front doors have been kicked open by strangers.
The Vancouver, Washington Police Department issued an alert on Thursday which said that they are investigating "at least seven very concerning incidents linked to a popular challenge being perpetuated on the media-sharing app 'TikTok.'"
These recent incidents reported by the Vancouver Police Department come as TikTok has faced backlash from many for several other similar trends, where users of the app encourage others to try odd challenges that could be dangerous.
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Police said that the so-called "Door Kick Challenge" has TikTok users recording themselves kicking in the doors of unsuspecting strangers. According to police, the seven incidents that they responded to on Wednesday occurred mostly in the Hearthwood Neighborhood in East Vancouver.
"In most cases, teenaged males kicked in the door of unsuspecting homeowners, then fled the scene," the City of Vancouver Police Department said. "The Vancouver Police Department is alerting the community to this recent challenge and encourages parents to warn their children of the obvious dangers associated with this type of crime."
While speaking with KATU 2 News in Portland, Oregon, Vancouver Police Department spokeswoman Kim Kapp said that while the incidents are not considered a home invasion, they pose other dangers, specifically to the homeowner.
"The shock to a homeowner who's just sitting there minding their own business at the dinner table when their door gets kicked in, but really the consequence, we don't know whose door these kids are kicking in, and what the reaction of that homeowner might be," Kapp told the local news station. "We don't want anyone getting hurt based on a prank that's gone wrong."
Kapp also told KATU 2 News that they are asking parents in the area to be aware of the trend and said, "Unfortunately, a lot of social media can be great, and it can also be a place for a lot of trouble."
Kapp said to Newsweek that detectives have been in contact with TikTok. "Our main concern in addition to the criminal activity and the nature of this type of challenge is that when somebody kicks somebody's door in, the reaction of that resident is obviously unknown," Kapp said.
Kapp also told Newsweek that since Wednesday the Vancouver Police Department has not received any new reports of this type of incident.
A somewhat similar situation occurred in Louisiana in November, when police arrested three individuals after they were seen on camera kicking a stranger's door in and fleeing the scene.
"Multiple security cameras recorded a teenage female in the passenger's side running up to doors to kick them in and leave the area in the vehicle. The suspect admitted to kicking the doors. More files and charges are suspected as more people get home from work," the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said in a statement, according to WAFB Channel 9 news.
In a statement sent to Newsweek, a spokesperson for TikTok said, "While we have not seen this trending on our platform, we expect our community to create responsibly and will remove content that encourages vandalism and other criminal activities."
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Updated 1/28/22, 1:16 p.m. ET : This story has been updated to include a statement from the City of Vancouver Police Department.
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