L to R: Sergeant Stephen McLean, Officer Ari Moser, Officer Zach Neal and Officer Bryan Mayfield.
The Mauldin Police Department has launched a four-person Traffic Safety Team that will focus on collision response, traffic enforcement and parking enforcement throughout the City. Led by Sergeant Stephen McLean, the team officially launched on July 30 and includes Officer Bryan Mayfield, Officer Ari Moser and Officer Zach Neal.
The new team will work a mix of days and nights with a focus on responding to and investigating collisions, as well as enforcement in the following areas:
-Moving violations such as speeding, running red lights or stop signs, and improper turns
-DUIs
-Aggressive driving
-Seat belt enforcement
-Equipment violations such as defective turn signals, taillights or headlights
-Parking enforcement related to issues with street side parking
The team will operate throughout the City, concentrating on high-collision areas, school zones in the mornings and afternoons, and neighborhoods frequently used as cut-throughs to avoid main roads. The team will also conduct frequent DUI checkpoints.
“Our primary function is to investigate any collision that happens in the city, and then traffic enforcement to hopefully decrease the number of collisions in the future,” Sgt. McLean said. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce collisions, reduce injuries and make this community safer — that’s 100 percent the goal of traffic enforcement.”
Prior to working for the Mauldin Police Department, Sgt. McLean worked on the Greenville Police Department’s Selective Enforcement and Collision Reconstruction Unit for four years. He is certified in collision reconstruction through the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and is also a certified speed measuring device instructor, certified DUI/standardized field sobriety test instructor, certified Drug Recognition Expert Instructor and state academy driving instructor through the SC Criminal Justice Academy.
“With his years of experience as a traffic enforcement expert, Sgt. McLean is ideally positioned to lead this team and help reduce collisions and fatalities in the City,” said Captain Tab Clardy, who oversees uniform patrol and traffic safety. “We’re grateful to City Council for supporting the formation of a traffic team, and we look forward to Mauldin becoming an even safer community through the enhanced enforcement of traffic-related laws.”
Capt. Clardy says the traffic team also frees up patrol officers to be more available to respond to emergencies.
“With this team’s concentration on traffic enforcement, it will free up uniform patrol to increase patrols in neighborhoods, improve response times and concentrate on property crimes and crimes against persons,” Capt. Clardy said. “We think this new team is going to be a tremendous asset to the City.”
The traffic team was made possible with the creation of four new positions in the police department in the FY2025 budget, which was approved by City Council on June 17 and went into effect on July 1.
“Under the leadership of Sgt. McLean, the Traffic Safety Team will be active within the city with increased traffic enforcement, which will make our city safer,” said Council Member and Public Safety Committee Chair Carol King. “I appreciate the leadership within our city recognizing the importance of thinking outside the box with the approval of four new police officers, which allowed us to implement this new concept. I am confident that this team will be an incredible addition to the Mauldin Police Department.”
