My first thought upon entering Mudville’s Saturday night and seeing wall to wall cops was “Who’s protecting the city?” No, it wasn’t a raid nor were they filming an episode of COPS in Clayton. Saturday, May 22 was Tip-a-Cop night at Ed’s Mudville Grill.

2004 marks the 6^th year that the Clayton Police Department and Mudville have partnered to help raise funds for the Special Olympics. Officers and Explorer Scouts from the Clayton Police Department volunteered their services as “celebrity waiters”, donating their “tips” to the Special Olympics of Northern California.

Sergeant Jason Russo has been spearheading Tip a Cop since he and fellow former Clayton officer Eric Batchelder first became involved in the fund raising event.  For the past three years Community Services Officer, Susan Burdett, has been assisting Russo. 2004 represents the unofficial passing of the leadership torch as time constraints have made it difficult for Russo to continue to head the event.

The constables turned countermen (and women) assist in all aspects of the restaurant with the exception of cash handling and cooking, though there have been exceptions.

As a former employee of Mudville’s, Russo knows the ins and outs of the restaurant. He has, on occasion, had to lend a hand in the kitchen in addition to doing everything from bartending to bussing tables. “It’s been a long road but every year it gets better.”  he says of the event.

Though he was officially on duty and in full police uniform, he did attempt to help out by taking my family’s order but when he asked one of the waitresses for an order pad he discovered that Ed’s has gone high tech and orders are now entered electronically.

In addition to the funds earned from Tip-a-Cop, the department also donates proceeds earned from selling Law Enforcement Torch Run T-shirt’s. Russo credits all of the officers who volunteer their time to the fundraiser and its success. 

A special participant in Saturday night’s event was soon to be Clayton officer Rich Enea the 2^nd.  Enea, 24, will be officially sworn in Monday May 24^th and will make up ½ of what is probably the first father and son officer team that Clayton has seen. Sergeant Rich Enea the 1^st has been with the department for the past 14 years.

Next on the agenda; Explorer Scouts, Andrew Sammut and Kimberly Nelson will participate with Russo in the June 22^nd Torch Run when the Special Olympics “Flame of Hope”  makes it’s way from The Chronicle Pavilion to Clayton where it will remain overnight. The next day it will be handed off to the Concord Police Department in route to Stockton for the start of the Northern California Summer Games, June 25^th –27^th.