In the movie, the siren is used to signify the start of the “Purge,” an annual tradition during which all laws are suspended for 12 hours. Citizens in Acadia Parish are currently under curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. and not allowed to leave their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
According to police officials, who were blaring the siren from their patrol cars, they were unaware that the siren was linked to the movie until they received many complaints from community members about the noise.
In a statement released Friday, the Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson explained that the siren would no longer be used.
"Last night a 'Purge Siren' was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew. We have received numerous complaints with the belief that our agency was involved in this process. We were not involved in the use of the ‘Purge Siren’ and will not utilize any type of siren for this purpose. Calls regarding this matter should be directed to the Crowley Police/Chief [Jimmy] Broussard and not the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office,” the statement reads, local outlet KIRO7 reported.
Louisiana has issued stay-at-home orders in the state, which has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 outbreak. The latest data from Worldometer shows that there are more than 16,000 cases of the virus in the state and that almost 600 people have died as a result.