In an effort to alert residents to the parish-wide curfew in Acadia Parish, Crowley Police rode around town broadcasting an alarm signal at 9:00 last night, but it's not what anyone expected.
In a video provided to KATC, the audible alarm from Crowley Police is actually the alarm sound from the successful film franchise "The Purge".
The implementation of the siren, which Crowley Police told residents would be different than regular police sirens, is to enforce the 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew. When residents hear this sound, Crowley Police say it is for their citizens to be notified that they are not allowed to leave their homes until the following morning.
"If you are out between the 9:00 pm to 6:00 am you will be stopped and advised to go home, " a Facebook post states. After several days of this, the police department says they will begin giving out citations to violators. If you are headed to work or leaving work, you must have documentation from your employer.
That post on Facebook from the Crowley Police Department received over 500 comments asking why the alarm was necessary and to what reason a the curfew was being so strictly enforced.
"Acadia Parish received the worse rating for the rapid spread of the virus. It has been put into place in order try and slow the spread. There is nothing anyone needs to be on the roads besides emergency situations. If you don’t want to comply with the orders of the Sheriff and the Chiefs, you will dealt with accordingly," the police department followed up with on that post.
Police say they received mixed reaction from the public following the alarm. Crowley Police chief Jimmy Broussard tells us he had no idea the sound was associated with "The Purge". He also tells us he doesn't plan on using any type of siren moving forward.
"The Purge" is a horror film that depicts a time in America when a national holiday is celebrated (The Purge) in which all crimes, including murder are legal for a 12-hour period. When the 12-hour period begins, sirens begin to blare and all emergency services are unavailable.
The Acadia Parish Sheriff, K.P. Gibson, issued a statement on behalf of his department:
"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 Broussard and not the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office."
