On Monday, Oct. 2, Mauldin native and retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Tab Clardy was sworn in as Captain of the Mauldin Police Department’s Field Operations Division. In this role, Capt. Clardy will oversee the day-to-day operations of the department’s patrol and traffic safety functions and will be responsible for the department’s professional standards, including internal affairs, recruitment and policy development. He replaces Capt. Kara Boyd, who retired in September after 26 years with MPD.
“Tab is a highly accomplished leader who is widely respected by his peers in law enforcement, and I’m proud to welcome him to the Mauldin Police Department,” Police Chief George Miller said. “Tab brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in both local and federal law enforcement to this role, and I know he’ll be a tremendous asset to MPD and the Mauldin community as a whole.”
Clardy is a career law enforcement professional with more than 33 years of experience spanning the Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Since 2003, he has worked as a special agent for the FBI, serving in three field offices and two tours at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Since 2015, he has served as a supervisory special agent at the FBI’s field office in Columbia, S.C., where he commanded the Counterintelligence Program, Human Intelligence Program and Special Surveillance Group, managed the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for South Carolina and led the state’s Counterintelligence Task Force.
Clardy began his career with the Greenville Police Department in 1988, working his way up from 911 dispatcher to police officer and detective. In 1999, he began working for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy, then rose to master deputy and patrol sergeant.
Clardy has served as an operator on four separate local and FBI SWAT teams, and he has been an FBI-certified crisis negotiator since 2016.
“I’m grateful and honored to join the Mauldin Police Department and to work with a team of professionals dedicated to protecting and serving the citizens of Mauldin,” Clardy said. “I truly have a passion for local law enforcement, and I feel like I have so much to give back. I believe that every single officer has value, and it’s my job to get that value out of them and help them realize their full potential for the benefit of the police department and the City of Mauldin.”
Clardy holds a master’s degree in management and leadership and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Wesleyan University, and an associate degree in public service/criminal justice from Greenville Technical College.
He is a Mauldin native and a 1988 graduate of Mauldin High School. From 1985 to 1989, he was a member of The Mauldin Police Explorers, a non-sworn volunteer group organized by the Chief of Police and supported by the Boy Scouts of America. He is a fifth-generation law enforcement professional, and his late father, James C. Clardy, retired from the state Highway Patrol after 30 years of service.
“This is a wonderful opportunity that allows me to come full circle,” Clardy said. “I grew up in Mauldin and gained exposure to law enforcement through the Mauldin Police Explorers. When I lost my father at the age of 15, the police officers in Mauldin surrounded me and kept me out of trouble. I’m looking forward to sharing the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years and giving back to the community that has given me so much.”
