Scranton Police Used A Hilarious The Office Reference In A Sting Operation
Police in Scranton are apparently fans of The Office.
This article is more than 2 years old
The perpetually popular mockumentary sitcom The Office (2005) over the years has become an important staple in modern comedy and pop culture in general. The Office has received both accolades and criticism for its content and style of comedy. The show has spawned countless jokes that still perpetuate in contemporary dialogue. However, the sitcom’s persevering presence has now even percolated down to the likes of the most serious of professions, law enforcement. CNN reported that the Scranton, Pennsylvania police department decided that a hilarious reference from The Office would be the perfect name for one of their most important operations.
The Scranton, Pennsylvania police department in partnership with the US Marshall Service recently completed an operation to verify the addresses of 219 convicted sex offenders reported to be living within Scranton’s city limits. The police department decided to coyly label the operation “Dunder Mifflin.” Dunder Mifflin was the fictional office building located in Scranton, Pennsylvania where the majority of scenes during The Office’s eight-season-long run took place.
The police department’s reasoning behind the clever name, while definitely fitting because of where the show took place, could have stemmed from what the show’s comedy is rooted in – inappropriate behavior. The Office is the show that was, and still is, famous for using the phrase, “That’s what she said.” Still, why the humor behind the possible name choice is not lost, it does not change the seriousness or the gravity of the US Marshall’s and Scranton PD’s mission. A US Marshall press release revealed that due to the combined efforts of the task force assigned to flesh out the offenders, they were able to identify all 219 from which they determined that 13 were in violation of their obligation to register with the local government. Ultimately nine of those in violation were arrested. However, according to Law & Crime, four remain at large and are being actively pursued with outstanding warrants.
There is no direct correlation between The Office and the Scranton police department’s critically important case. However, even after the show has been off of the air for nearly a decade, it has proven that it has the ability to infiltrate the most unlikely of societal sectors. This is a testament to the cultural staying power that The Office continues to leave in its wake. In fact, the personalities on the show and the actors who portrayed them are still wildly recognized. For instance, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone) made $1 million from a single cameo appearance alone.
If the Scranton Police Department’s nod to The Office is any indication, momentum for the widely-loved sitcom is not slowing down anytime soon. In fact, the show is actually getting somewhat of a revival in the form of a video game. The game, titled The Office: Somehow We Manage, is due to land on mobile sometime later this year and will reportedly feature some of the program’s most iconic moments that fans will get to relive as they try to successfully navigate running their very own version of Dunder Mifflin.
