Traffic Safety Specialist Program

Maryland Traffic Safety Specialist Program
Resource Type
State Highway Safety Showcase

Maryland Highway Safety Office

To develop effective solutions that address local and statewide traffic safety issues, law enforcement agencies must have personnel on staff that are highly skilled and motivated in traffic safety. The Traffic Safety Specialist (TSS) program was designed to recognize law enforcement officers for their experience, education, training and proficiency in highway safety and traffic enforcement methods and procedures, and to encourage ongoing professional development in these areas.

Established in 2008, the program provides a framework by which law enforcement officers can receive credit and recognition for their skills and contributions to traffic safety. The TSS Program is a collaborative effort of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, the Maryland Association of Chiefs of Police, the Maryland Sheriffs Association, and the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC). The program managed by MPCTC, and is overseen by an Executive Committee composed of representatives from each of the partner organizations.

The key feature of the program, the Traffic Safety Specialist (TSS) Designation, is a statewide, uniform and consistent recognition of police officers who have attained notable levels of experience, education, training and proficiency in highway safety and traffic enforcement methods and procedures. The TSS Designation is awarded by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC), and the program is open to all certified police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers from Maryland law enforcement agencies, and certain federal law enforcement agencies that have a presence in Maryland.

There are three Designation Levels of the TSS Program: TSS I, TSS II and TSS III. Each successive Designation requires increasing levels of experience, training, job performance, and skills proficiency as a traffic enforcement officer. To be eligible for a TSS Designation, officers must enroll in the program and submit all required documentation for the specific Designation they are seeking. Levels II and III also require a traffic safety project paper which must be reviewed and approved by the TSS Executive Committee.

The program currently has an enrollment of more than 750 officers representing 66 law enforcement agencies in Maryland. Since its inception, the program has awarded TSS Designations to more than 425 officers.

Each year in September, officers achieving a TSS Designation are recognized in an Awards Luncheon and receive the TSS award, certificate and a uniform ribbon indicating their Designation Level.

More Information

State
Maryland
Resource Category
State Highway Safety Showcase