I think you noticed that the detectives in San Macros (Captain Alameda and Lieutenant Plato) are thinly disguised versions of Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher. Alameda has the same mustache as Stottlemeyer and Plato is Spanish for "dish" or "plate".
This episode also provided us a rare glimpse into how highly Stottlemeyer thinks of Monk professionally and how close he feels to him personally.