Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 661 - Public Safety Department › Chapter 1 - The Department › Rule 661-1.2 - Organization

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
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, capital 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 capital 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.