Relating to the establishment of a cold case investigation unit within the department of public safety

Description

Senate File 40 establishes a Cold Case Investigation Unit within the Department of Public Safety (DPS). The Unit is tasked, within its capabilities, with conducting criminal investigations after an initial criminal investigation has been completed by law enforcement. The Unit is required to focus on investigations involving unsolved murders, missing children, and missing adults presumed to be dead.

The Commissioner of Public Safety must appoint at least two full-time peace officers to the Cold Case Investigation Unit. The DPS is required to adopt administrative rules and must ensure proper training and resources for peace officers of the DPS assigned to the Cold Case Investigation Unit.

Background

Currently, no specific unit within the DPS is assigned to handle cold cases. The Major Crime Unit (MCU) of the Division of Criminal Investigation takes responsibility for investigating cold cases as time and resources allow. As of February 23, 2023, the MCU had approximately 160 open cold cases.

Assumptions

• Due to the complex nature of cold cases, staffing the Cold Case Investigation Unit will require 2.0 Special Agent full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.
• One-time equipment costs are the standard costs associated with outfitting of a new Special Agent 2, including a vehicle, radios, weapons, ammunition, IT equipment, and other equipment.
• One-time training costs include the costs to train someone on a particular specialty.
• Recurring annual costs include costs associated with vehicle depreciation payments, vehicle fuel and maintenance, and communication costs.

Fiscal Impact

The costs of 2.0 Special Agent FTE positions for the Cold Case Investigation Unit are shown in Table 1. Senate File 40 is estimated to increase costs to the DPS by $295,000 in FY 2024 and by $199,000 in FY 2025. The DPS is funded through General Fund appropriations. Table 1 — Cost of 2.0 Special Agent FTE Positions, FY 2024 to FY 2025 Expense FY 2024 FY 2025 Salary and Benefits $191,000 $191,000 Recurring Annual Costs 8,000 8,000 One-Time Equipment Costs 91,000 0 One-Time Training Costs 5,000 0 Total $295,000 $199,000

Sources

• Department of Public Safety
• Department of Management
• LSA calculations