N.C. Police's Social Media Post Turns into Global T-Shirt Craze: 'It Came Out of Nowhere'

And the graphic tees feature a cartoon-style rendering of a gallon of chocolate milk, festooned with handcuffs, popcorn, potato chips and candy. They retail for $15-$18 and go up to size 3X.

Demand is, uh, rabid you might say. Launched Oct. 8 at 3 p.m., the first run of 250 shirts sold out within one hour, DeSota said.

“We weren’t expecting such a demand," Desota said.

So DeSota called on the Greensboro Police Foundation, his support agency for ordering and shipping the shirts, to run 750 more.

“Within 48 hours, we were sold out," said Jennifer Jacobs, director of the nonprofit foundation, which benefits from the proceeds.

The foundation uses funds from such projects to finance supplies and equipment for the GPD. For example, the foundation recently bought a mobile command center for the force.

“It came out of nowhere. You just never know what is going to strike a chord with people," said Jacobs, who aims to reprint shirts soon and is scrambling to find a source for a steady T-shirt inventory. “I think it has built goodwill and a great rapport between the community and the police department," Jacobs said.

The T-shirt’s catchphrase was born in August at the DeSota house when Patrick was brainstorming with his wife about a fun anti-crime motto to post to the Facebook page.

“I needed something light-hearted and something that might be funny," DeSota said. “Something was stuck in my head about chocolate milk!"

DeSota’s wife, Kelsey, finished the line with “have a little snacky snack and don’t crime.’’

Those 12 words quickly garnered 97,000 likes and 17,000 shares on Facebook, DeSota said.

“It really picked up traction, and I started seeing people from Canada, the U.K., New Zealand and other places around the world. It kinda ... snowballed," he said.

“One person wrote, ‘I live in Portland, Oregon, and I’d love to wear one,’ " DeSota noted.

A New Zealand woman ordered a shirt for herself and another for her husband, explaining they were both FB page fans.

South Carolinians, New Yorkers, Californians, all atwitter about the tees on the department’s page.

“I live in Cincinnati, but I won’t ever pass up your posts! Love them!!!” one fan wrote.

Emma Kitchens of Texas wrote on the GPD Facebook page: “I live in Texas, my husband is an officer, and I’ve never even been to Greensboro, but can I get one?"

A quick perusal of the GPD Facebook page provides insight into DeSota’s offbeat humor.

His most recent seasonal treats: An AI-generated photo of a grim reaper ghoul holding police Chief John Thompson, also dressed in all black. Headline: “Hey Boo, It’s spooky season and Chief wanted to remind you...don’t crime."

Another sassy post reads:

“Even though it’s October, Greensboro Police have a direct line to Santa Claus so don’t act up. If you do, we’ll call him and all you’ll get for the holidays is an owner’s manual to a 1970 Ford Pinto."

A recent post features a photo of a giant decorative skeleton walking a novelty skeletal dog on a lawn.

DeSota’s quip: “Got a call north of town about a tall, naked man walking his dogs. Fam, we gonna sit this one out."

Hired two years ago, Desota said his main goal is “to humanize the badge.’’

“These officers work day-in and day-out to serve the city of Greensboro, and if I can find a way to showcase that, I’m more than happy to do that," DeSota said.

Humor “makes people understand they’re human, too. They have wives and kids like everyone else."

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