The department of public safety is administered by a
commissioner who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.
Bureaus which provide planning and staff support, administer governor's traffic
safety programs, conduct staff inspections and investigate complaints against
officers of the department report directly to the commissioner. The rest of the
department is divided into the following eight divisions: administrative
services, state patrol, capitol security, communications, fire marshal,
criminal investigation, state medical examiner, and narcotics
enforcement.
(1) The administrative
services division, through its bureaus, provides primary support services to
all line elements in the general field of business administration, data
processing, collections, and office management.
(2) The division of state patrol is a law
enforcement agency that primarily regulates the orderly flow of traffic on the
state's highways, and responds to local law enforcement agencies' requests for
emergency assistance. Peace officer members of this division have a duty to
detect and apprehend criminals and enforce all state laws. Iowa Code section
321.2 imposes motor vehicle law
enforcement duties upon this division and the commissioner may and does assign
to this division other law enforcement responsibilities.
This division also assigns officers to the promotion of motor
vehicle and other safety education, and will provide emergency transportation
of substances needed by doctors, veterinarians, or hospitals, and support
security for special events. Any citizen requesting such services may contact
division or district headquarters, the addresses for which are listed in this
chapter.
This division is also responsible for the highway emergency
long-distance phone (HELP). Anyone calling 1-800-525-5555 from anywhere in Iowa
will be connected with someone at the district headquarters in Des Moines who
will try to provide immediate assistance.
(3) The division of capitol security is a law
enforcement agency which performs police and security work, regulates the
orderly flow of traffic, and preserves the peace in and around the seat of
state government and at Terrace Hill.
(4) The communications division provides
total police communications to the public safety sector including the
department of public safety, police departments, sheriffs' offices, and other
local state and federal criminal justice agencies.
(5) The fire marshal division is responsible
for the promotion and enforcement of fire safety, fire protection, elimination
of fire hazards, and the enforcement of laws, rules and regulations concerned
with fire prevention, such as the storage, transportation, handling, and use of
inflammable liquids, combustibles, explosives, and liquid petroleum gas, and
inspection of electric wiring, heating, and adequate fire exits for public
buildings.
This division is also responsible for investigation into the
cause, origin and circumstances of fires and the enforcement of all laws
relating to the suppression of arson and apprehension of those persons
suspected of arson. These functions are performed through the bureau of fire
prevention and the bureau of arson and explosives.
(6) The division of criminal investigation is
a law enforcement unit that conducts criminal investigations, enforces Iowa's
beer and liquor laws under Iowa Code chapter 123, pari-mutuel laws under Iowa
Code chapter 99D, and lottery laws under Iowa Code chapter 99E, maintains the
state's central repository for all criminal history records, and operates the
state criminalistics laboratory.
(7) The division of state medical examiner
provides assistance, consultation and training to county medical examiners and
law enforcement officials, keeps records concerning deaths or crimes requiring
investigation by this division. The state medical examiner receives reports of
deaths in Iowa affecting the public interest and may require
autopsies.
(8) The division of
narcotics enforcement has statewide primary responsibility for providing
investigative law enforcement relating to narcotics and other controlled
substances. Assistance is provided to county and city agencies by providing
related intelligence information, special purpose investigative moneys and
investigative assistance and training.
