McNulty proclaims, "How many out there can do what we do? Don Warden, Ed Burns, Gary Childs out in the county, John O'Neil and Steve Cleary over in Woodlawn, oh they bring it in, but there's not many". This is a winking reference to Ed Burns, one of the writer's and show's creator, also a police officer for many years. Don Warden was also a detective for the BPD