MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – The Myrtle Beach Police Department has launched a new unit to improve road safety and address criminal activity on the streets.
The department held a news conference and demonstration Thursday to introduce the T.I.D.E. unit, which stands for the Traffic Interdiction and Driving Enforcement Team.
According to a media alert, the unit is designed to target dangerous and impaired driving and help prevent crime.
“This team will play a key role in identifying and addressing issues before they escalate, while supporting overall public safety efforts across the city,†the news release said.
The unit was formed after the department received several complaints from the community about specific areas in the city needing more patrols.
“Addressing traffic complaints was handled within our traffic unit,†said Capt. Paul Morrell of the Myrtle Beach Police Department. “They were tasked with handling track complaints as well as handling all the motor vehicle collisions inside the city limits. So they had task upon task and we had identified the need for a separate unit just to address a number of the community concerns. To establish a higher quality of life for all of our residents, business owners and visitors.â€
Community-driven enforcement
The unit will respond to complaints from residents and business owners about problem areas.
“On a fairly consistent basis we receive complaints from our community residents, mostly business owners, saying there is a car speeding in X, Y, and Z area. So let’s say we get this number of complaints—let’s say in Market Common—we say, ‘Hey, we need you to hit these roads.’ It’s geared towards input from our public. Our residents are assisting us with our enforcement efforts,†Morrell said.
The T.I.D.E. unit is made up of four officers who are all seasoned traffic safety veterans.
The unit also plans to post its stats each Tuesday on social media for transparency with the public.
Focus on traffic violations
The department said the unit will focus solely on traffic violations, not crashes, which is different from how it has operated in the past.
“Accidents take them away from traffic enforcement, which is traditionally what all four of these officers did on top of traffic enforcement was work accidents,†Morrell said. “So this team was separated from the traffic unit so they don’t have to report to accidents and strictly focus on proactive traffic enforcement.â€
The unit has been in place for around two weeks.
The department said it hopes to have an email address in place in the coming months for the public to contact the unit directly.
The full news conference can be viewed below.
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