Enid Sinclair opens a gift on the Netflix show “Wednesday” and it is Thing’s mugshot from the Normal Police Department. The reference to Normal, made in the season 2 premiere of the show, which aired Wednesday, has gotten the town’s Police Department some attention on social media. (Facebook photos)

Normal police officer Darien Bachman was skeptical when a clip of the Netflix show “Wednesday” mentioning the department was forwarded via social media.

“I was like ‘I don’t think this is real. I think it is an AI thing,’” the department’s community engagement officer said. “But I kept seeing people talk about it. So I had to check it out for myself.”

He watched the show’s season 2 premiere, which aired Wednesday (of course), and at about the 34:30 mark, Enid Sinclair opens a gift and inside is Thing’s mugshot from the Normal Police Department.

Thing T. Thing, often referred to as just “Thing,” was a disembodied hand on The Addams Family television series and movies.

Bachman said when he confirmed the department reference on the Netflix show, he sprang into action.

“It was a perfect opportunity to post about it, to play around, have a little fun,” Bachman said.

The community engagement officer said that no one from Netflix or “Wednesday” reached out about the town’s reference on the show.

“We found out the same way as everybody else,” Bachman laughed.

In Facebook comments, Dean Tudor may have nailed while Normal got air time.

“The town name is ‘Normal’ and the show is about people (who) are not normal,” Tudor wrote. “It’s not the first show to do this for this reason.”

Embracing the department’s 15 minutes of fame, Bachman used computer software to add Wednesday Addams wigs onto a picture of him and school resource officer Jeremy Flood.

Normal school resource officer Jeremy Flood (left) and community engagement officer Darien Bachman don Wednesday Addams wigs with the help of computer software.

“While the officers in these Wednesday wigs may not technically be the ones who cuffed the infamous hand, we think they wear the look well,” Bachman posted on the department’s Facebook page. “Should this be the new uniform? Let us know!”

Bachman said he used a picture of Flood and him because they’re “fairly well known in the community.”

When he posted the department’s brush with stardom, he wasn’t sure members of the community would understand the reference, but they got it alright. In just two days, the post had nearly 1,000 likes and had been shared a couple of hundred times.

“It’s very cool,” Bachman said of the attention being bestowed on the department.

The community engagement officer said when the department posts lighter items, staff try to include either recruitment or safety messages. This was no exception.

Bachman posted, “And hey – while you’re here, did you know Normal PD is hiring lateral officers?

“Come join a department that’s got:

• Great benefits
• Amazing pay
• Tons of time off
• And the bragging rights of being the only agency to ever arrest a sentient hand.”

“We are always hiring, especially police who are experienced,” Bachman said. “We are happy to answer any questions they may have.”

“For people interested in trying to get into policing or current police officers looking to change their path, Normal is the place.”