The coronavirus pandemic already has people a bit on edge as the world deals with the spread of COVID-19 and the unprecedented disruption to nearly every aspect of daily life, but for residents of Arcadia, Louisiana, things took an even more eerie turn when the local police began using the siren from The Purge. Arcadia Parish is currently operating under a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in which citizens are not to leave their homes, a curfew that the police have been reminding residents of by sounding The Purge alarm as they patrol.
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When you consider the premise of James DeMonaco’s 2013 horror thriller, the police’s use of the siren is definitely unsettling. Set in a dystopian near-future. after an economic collapse, Americans celebrate an annual holiday — The Purge — in which all crimes including murder are legal for a 12-hour period. No emergency services are available during this Purge time with the eerie siren kicking off the event (as well as the end of the event.)
According to IndieWire, once the police realized the siren they were using came from The Purge, law enforcement said it would not be used again with Crowley Louisiana Police chief Jimmy Broussard telling local KATC that he was unaware the siren was associated with the film and that it will not be used again — nor will any other type of siren.
Another Louisiana police department was quick to issue their own statement advising their residents that they had not used the siren and would not be using a siren at, either.
“Last night a ‘Purge Siren’ was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew,” the statement said. “We have received numerous complaints with the belief that our agency was involved in the process. We were not involved int he use of the ‘Purge Siren’ and will not utilize any type of siren for the purpose. Calls regarding this matter should be directed to the Crowley Police and Chief Broussard and not the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office.”
Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time The Purge has had something of an odd overlap with the current coronavirus pandemic. In March, fans noticed that one of the events referenced in film began at 7 p.m. on March 21, 2020. Fictionally, of course.
What do you think about the police using The Purge siren to enforce curfew? Let us know in the comments below.
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