California youngsters are being cautioned by police not to take part in a bizarre new social media trend that involves kicking doors and running away.
A slightly upgraded version of the ‘ding-dong ditch’ prank has taken over the residential areas in Irvine, police said.
The trend known as the ‘door kick challenge’ involves a person kicking a resident’s front door as hard as possible and running away without getting caught, and eventually posting it on social media.
Irvine police warned parents about the increasing activity, alerting them that participation in such seemingly harmless pranks may result in criminal charges for their children.
Authorities added that several incidents have been captured on home security cameras and it could also result in potentially dangerous confrontations.
‘The last month alone we’ve had over 20 calls of people reporting seeing either kids kicking the doors or neighbors who have actually had their door kicked calling in to us,” Officer Ziggy Azarcon, a public information officer for the Irvine Police Department, told ABC 7.
He added that such pranks can cause property damage and can prove to be detrimental for kids.
‘If there’s damage to the door, this can rise to the level of crime. We’re seeing some of the damage here and we are taking crime reports for vandalism,” Azarcon said.
Young people are taking part in a social media challenge where they have to record themselves kicking resident’s doors and running away
The police has warned people that this could be dangerous and can lead to a criminal charge if caught
Authorities cautioned parents that frightened residents could also take unpredictable actions that may cause harm
The Youth Services Unit at the Irvine Police Department said that it is investigating the reported cases.
The team will be working with school resource officers to identify some of the youngsters involved in these incidents.
The department also raised concern about the safety of the people who get themselves involved in such pranks.
‘What might get a few laughs or likes online can have very real consequences offline,’ Irvine police said in an online post.
Authorities cautioned that frightened residents might take unpredictable actions that may cause serious harm to the youngsters.
‘There are kids kicking on doors and scaring these residents who might take matters into their own hands, so we’re really trying to talk to parents and get the word out to talk to their children and explain to them the dangers of doing this ‘door kick challenge.’ Azarcon said.
‘Someone on the other side of that door might not think this is funny or this is a prank and really think there’s a threat to their house and take some action on it,’ he added.
The officials urged parents to talk to their children about the dangers involved in taking part in this challenge.
If a parent intentionally allows a youngster to take part in the door-kicking trend and a crime is committed, the parent will also be held accountable, police said.
‘A damaged door, a scared homeowner, a dangerous confrontation, criminal charges, or someone getting seriously hurt can all be part of the outcome,’ the police said.
A man was arrested in Illinois in October for allegedly chasing three teens with a gun after they pounded on his front door late one evening, the Record North Shore reported.
The teens’ actions were very similar to the Door Kick Challenge, Wilmette Police Department Cmdr. Alex Mercado told the Record.
