A Canadian police officer shared the shocking reason why people shouldn’t ignore strangers knocking on their door.
Officer Arsenault turned to TikTok to provide advice on how to avoid being targeted for burglary during the day.
“If someone comes to your house during the day and knocks on the door or rings the doorbell and you don’t answer because you don’t want to be disturbed, don’t do that, okay?” Arsenault said.
‘Two minutes later they kick in your doors, it’s a break and you go inside. It happens all the time.’
He further explained that instead of pretending not to be home, people should shout through the door, wave the stranger away or pretend they are on the phone.
Arsenault added, “When they come into your house, they panic and don’t expect anyone to be there. Bad things can happen.
“Be safe out there.”
Nearly 2,000 commenters flooded the video with reactions, many saying they were grateful for the advice because they would normally do the opposite.
Canadian police officer and influencer Officer Arsenault shared surprising tips on how to deal with strangers knocking on people’s doors
Ackerman Security said the first thing anyone should do if someone unexpectedly shows up at the door is to make sure it is locked (stock image)
‘Good advice, thanks, sounds logical. I always do the opposite and tell my partner to do the same… I will change this with your explanation,” one user wrote.
Another person added: ‘I usually don’t answer because I’m scared. Now I’m scared. If I don’t answer, someone will come in.’
Some viewers shared their own experiences with people trying to break into their homes.
‘That happened to me and when they tried to break in, I shouted a man’s name and pretended I wasn’t the only one. They left,” one user wrote.
Others seemed skeptical of the advice.
One critic said, “If they want to get in enough, they’ll come in whether I open the door or not.”
Arsenault’s page is full of safety advice that he shares with his more than 922,000 followers on TikTok.
He also writes about his daily experiences as a police officer.
Arsenault encouraged viewers to “be safe” and has shared other protective advice with his more than 922,000 followers on TikTok
The video on how to respond to unexpected door knocks was posted on Wednesday, but was dated November 27, 2019.
Other security experts, including those from Ackerman Securityhave shared similar advice.
According to their website, people should do four things in their home when confronted with an unwanted guest at their door.
The first action Ackerman suggested was to “perform a lock check,” which simply means making sure a door is locked.
As the critical commenter on Arsenault’s post said, people may want to break into a house regardless of whether someone is inside or not.
The security company also encouraged people to look through their peephole or at a camera to see who is outside their home.
Ackerman echoed Arsenault’s sentiment about letting potential intruders know someone is in the house.
Arsenault said to always let people know that someone is home, so intruders are not surprised when they break in (stock image)
“You are not obliged to open your door,” the website says. ‘Just answer the person at the door by asking, “Who is it?”
“Again, don’t let your guard down here. Many burglars and scammers pretend that they are in danger or need help to get you to open the door.’
Ultimately, people should call police if they feel they are in danger, Ackerman said.