83 Maryland Officers Designated as Traffic Safety Specialists

Officers from 32 Agencies Across the State Earned Designation in 2024

GLEN BURNIE, MD  – The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MVA) Highway Safety Office this week honored 83 officers from 32 agencies across the state as Traffic Safety Specialists (TSS), recognizing their commitment and contributions to traffic safety in 2024.

The statewide TSS program recognizes officers who have attained distinct levels of experience, training and proficiency in highway safety and traffic enforcement methods and procedures. The program is a collaborative effort of MVA’s Highway Safety Office, the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association.

"Congratulations and thank you to these law enforcement officers who are devoted partners in keeping Maryland's roads safe,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “We know actions such as speeding, being distracted and driving impaired have repeatedly been causes of deadly and serious crashes on our highways. The training these officers now have will help save lives.”

To develop effective solutions that address local and statewide traffic safety, law enforcement agencies must have personnel who are highly skilled in this area. The TSS program provides a framework that provides officers an opportunity to receive credit and recognition for their skills and contributions.

“The dedication of Maryland’s law enforcement officers to advancing their expertise in traffic safety is truly commendable. Earning the Traffic Safety Specialist designation reflects their ongoing commitment to making our roads safer for everyone,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Governor Wes Moore’s Highway Safety Representative. “By identifying and addressing dangerous driving behaviors before they result in crashes, these officers play a crucial role in Maryland’s mission to eliminate roadway fatalities.”

Established in 2008, TSS is open to police officers, deputy sheriffs and state troopers across Maryland and federal law enforcement agencies. The program offers TSS I, TSS II and TSS III designations. Each successive designation requires increasing levels of experience, training, job performance, and skills proficiency as a traffic enforcement officer. In total, 73 officers received a Level I designation and 10 received a Level II designation. Specialized requirements, such as Speed Detection Device certification, Standardized Field Sobriety Test certification, and participation in High Visibility Enforcement campaigns, are examples of specifications needed to achieve one of the three TSS levels. To be eligible, officers must enroll in the program and submit the required documentation for the level they seek. TSS III requires an extensive traffic safety project that must be reviewed and approved by the TSS Executive Committee, which is comprised of current and retired law enforcement officers.

More than 1,100 officers throughout Maryland have earned the TSS Designation since its inception. Agencies with TSS officers designated in 2024 include:

Learn more about the MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office at ZeroDeathsMD.gov or on Facebook, X, and Instagram at @ZeroDeathsMD.