Colorado Department of Public Safety

 

About the Department of Public Safety

CDPS is one of the Colorado state government's youngest executive branch departments having been created by the legislature in 1984. It includes the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, the Division of Fire Safety, the Office of Preparedness and Security and the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.

Colorado has achieved one of the nation's best public safety environments. Not only are the state's crime trends significantly lower than national averages in all categories, they remain consistently lower than those of many other western states, according to the FBI. Colorado highways also rank among the safest in the country, in part due to the strategic deployment of enforcement efforts of the Colorado State Patrol. CSP has been among the nation's most aggressive drunk driving enforcement agencies for more than 40 years.

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) provides law enforcement services on 8,400 miles of federal and state highways as well 57,000 miles of county roads within the state. The CSP has been nationally recognized for its efforts in Homeland Security, Immigration and Motor Carrier Safety. It has led the nation for almost a decade in the reduction of fatal and injury accidents on its targeted roadways. A complete explanation of the Patrol's many law enforcement responsibilities can be found on the CSP website. This year marks the Colorado State Patrol's 75th anniversary!

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was created by the Colorado Legislature on July 1, 1967, to support and assist local, county, and state criminal justice agencies through the provision of professional investigative and forensic laboratory services, as well as the management and administration of criminal justice records and data sharing. In addition CBI provides investigative, consumer awareness and educational activities in financial fraud matters, gaming investigations and missing persons investigations. During the past several years, CBI has developed a multidisciplinary strategy to solve cold homicide cases. CBI's extensive list of services is described more completely on the CBI website.

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice exists to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the state's criminal justice system. DCJ is recognized nationally for its solid criminal justice research services. DCJ also manages millions of dollars in federal grants for criminal justice programs that come to our state. More about DCJ's programs, similarly, can be found on the DCJ website.

The Division of Fire Safety provides school fire safety inspections, firefighter training and certification and other fire safety services. The extensive list of services provided by DFS is described on the DFS website.

Other CDPS agencies have their own websites which you can locate on the left side of this web page.

For answers to specific questions about CDPS, its areas of responsibility and services, please contact Public.Safety@cdps.state.co.us.

James H. Davis
Executive Director