Organization
Under legislation passed by the Arizona legislature in 1968, the Arizona Department of Public Safety became operational on July 1, 1969, by the executive order of Governor Jack Williams. Governor Williams' mandate consolidated the functions and responsibilities of the Arizona Highway Patrol, the Enforcement Division of the State Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, and the Narcotics Division of the State Department of Law.
During its history, the Arizona Department of Public Safety has accepted many additional responsibilities and evolved into a respected, nationally recognized, and multi-faceted organization dedicated to providing law enforcement services to the public while developing and maintaining close partnerships with other agencies that share similar missions and objectives.
Today, with its state headquarters in Phoenix, the Department maintains offices in more than 80 Arizona communities and cities within the state's 15 counties. Close to 2,100 full-time departmental employees, along with more than 150 volunteers, help the agency fulfill its support and operational objectives in the critical areas of highway and public safety, criminal interdiction, scientific analysis, and technical and operational support of other criminal justice agencies.
AZDPS Chain of Command
The agency fulfills its objectives through an organizational structure consisting of the following elements:
Organizational Structure
Under the oversight of the Director, the Director's Office establishes the objectives and structure of the agency and, through the Deputy Director, directs its day-to-day operations. The Director's Office oversees governmental relations, legal affairs, public affairs, internal affairs, inspections, financial services, and executive security. In addition, the Director's Office supports the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, and the Law Enforcement Merit System Council.
Under the oversight of the Director, the Director's Office establishes the objectives and structure of the agency and, through the Deputy Director, directs its day-to-day operations. The Director's Office oversees governmental relations, legal affairs, public affairs, internal affairs, inspections, financial services and executive security. In addition, the Director's Office provides support to the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board and the Law Enforcement Merit System Council.
The Agency Support Division (ASD) works to provide vital support to the state of Arizona and its citizens by providing services for other governmental agencies and supporting the different divisions of the department. ASD houses several critical functions that allow the agency to operate efficiently and successfully daily. An essential function of ASD is aviation services, which support federal, state, county, and local agencies with search and rescue missions and time-sensitive transportation. Other important functions include human resources, basic training, operational training, strategic resources, support services, field video and records, fleet services, facilities services, procurement, and logistics.
The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) protects human life and property by enforcing state laws relating to narcotic trafficking, organized crime, intelligence, vehicle theft, gangs, computer and financial crimes, and fugitive apprehension. CID deters criminal activity by developing intelligence, using innovative investigative and specialized enforcement strategies to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations and investigate crimes. CID provides vital support to Arizona and its citizens by conducting criminal and administrative investigations for other agencies, hosting and participating in regional task forces, operating the Arizona Counter-Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC), and providing tactical high-risk responses to acts of extraordinary violence and domestic preparedness incidents.
The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) at DPS is committed to providing the highest quality investigative and specialized response services to the public and the criminal justice community. The Division is guided by three immutable values: honor, courage, and commitment while fostering a supportive and empowered environment for its employees.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Criminal Investigations Division is to protect the public by deterring crime using innovative investigative and specialized enforcement strategies and resources.
Uniformed state troopers staff the Highway Patrol Division (HPD); they are highly recognizable by an all-tan uniform and Montana Peak (Smokey) hat. You can learn more about the history of the Arizona Highway Patrol and how the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) began.
HPD comprises troopers assigned throughout the state who help fulfill the AZDPS mission of protecting human life and property by enforcing criminal and traffic laws. Troopers patrol over 6,800 linear miles—a total of 27,000 highway lane miles across 16 districts statewide—and serve as the front line in deterring criminal activity along Arizona’s highways.
The division combines enforcement, training, and public outreach to improve highway safety, reduce collisions, and increase the efficiency of the highway transportation system. One of HPD's responsibilities is to support the state of Arizona and its citizens by patrolling the Capitol districts in Phoenix and Tucson.
HPD also staffs the Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) Traffic Operations Center (TOC) and provides assistance to other local, county, state and federal agencies.
HPD analyzes data on a regular basis in order to deploy its troopers strategically throughout the state(link is external). It also participates in numerous traffic safety enforcement campaigns and special enforcement operations throughout the year in partnership with local and national law enforcement.
HPD is composed of the following units:
- Analytical Unit
- Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE)
- DUI Enforcement
- Highway Patrol District Information
- Roadside Motorist Assistance (RMA)
- Traffic Operations Center (TOC)
The Technical Services Division (TSD) protects human life and property by enforcing laws related to the regulation of security guards, private investigators, scrap metal dealers, sex offenders, and job applicants for specific occupations that require statutorily mandated background checks and fingerprint clearance cards.
TSD also assists in law enforcement by hosting and supporting the Arizona Criminal Justice Information System (ACJIS), which provides criminal history information to every law enforcement agency in the State and serves as a conduit to the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC). TSD’s oversight of these regulated areas also deters criminal activity related to vulnerable populations, such as children.
TSD provides vital support to the state of Arizona and its citizens by developing and coordinating scientific, technical, regulatory, and support services essential for the functioning of Arizona’s criminal justice system. TSD houses four regional crime laboratories that provide scientific analysis of evidence, technical crime scene assistance, secure storage of evidentiary items, training, and expert testimony to criminal justice agencies in the state.
It also houses the department’s three regionally based operational communications (dispatch) centers throughout the state, which provide statewide radio dispatch services to AZDPS, emergency medical services, and other law enforcement dispatch centers.
TSD also oversees information technology, telecommunications, and wireless systems and is responsible for state-wide radio services that serve AZDPS and other state agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and Game and Fish.
TSD BUREAUS:
Voted into law by the legislature in 2022, the Major Incident Division is comprised of three investigative districts (Northern, Central, and Southern) and is housed in Phoenix, Arizona. Also under the umbrella of the MID is the Scientific Analysis Bureau, which is comprised of four Regional Crime Labs throughout the state (Northern, Southern, Central, and Western).
As directed by A.R.S. 41-1762D1 and D2, the MID shall:
1. Use investigators who are certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board or who were sworn employees of a federal, state, county, or local law enforcement agency who have demonstrated the skills, knowledge, abilities, and training as approved by the director and who have completed investigative courses identified by the director and approved by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board to conduct independent investigations of critical force incidents. If an investigator described in this paragraph was employed by a federal, state, county, or local law enforcement agency, the investigator must:
(a) Have retired or left the law enforcement agency in good standing.
(b) Not have been under investigation at retirement or resignation from the law enforcement agency.
(c) Not have retired or resigned instead of terminating or disciplining.
(d) If a United States military veteran has been honorably discharged.
2. At the written request of a chief of police or a county sheriff, investigate a criminal allegation against a peace officer who the law enforcement agency employs.
This statute directs each law enforcement agency in this state to require the significant incident division, a regional law enforcement task force, or another law enforcement agency to perform the criminal investigation of any critical force incidents in this state by July 1, 2025.