Colorado Department of Public Safety

We are 25 - years-old, that is!

The Colorado Department of Public Safety came into existence on July 1, 1984.

CDPS is one of Colorado state government's youngest departments. Nearly all of our component divisions existed in some form before the actual creation of the department, however. The Colorado State Patrol, for example, was a division of the Department of Highways -- now CDOT -- in 1983 when the General Assembly and Gov. Richard D. Lamm created CDPS. The Division of Criminal Justice had been part of the Department of Local Affairs. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was part of the Department of Law before CDPS was established. The only new office created along with CDPS in 1984 was the Division of Fire Safety. When it was created, DFS consisted of one member.

Much has changed in those two-and-a-half decades. Colorado's population grew by 55%. CDPS members increased by 37%. Many new responsibilities have been added to the department, including some homeland security programs, sex offender registry and management programs, AMBER Alerts, identity theft and complex fraud investigations, gaming enforcement, school safety services, new forensic laboratory services including DNA testing, new school safety inspections, an immigration enforcement unit in the State Patrol that is tied to the Patrol's traffic enforcement responsibilities, and security for the state Capitol building and for elected officials.

Is this a less safe world than it was 25 years ago? Not at all.

Much of the improvement comes from efforts by local law enforcement agencies, and many accomplishments can be attributed directly to members of CDPS. Drunk driving, for example, accounted for more than 55% of traffic deaths and injuries before the creation of the department. Drunk or drugged drivers now account for 40% of deaths and injuries on highways that are under the jurisdiction of the State Patrol.

Did you know that the people of CDPS created the internationally-known "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" campaign?

Even 40% of traffic deaths and injuries is too many, but Colorado can claim significant progress in making highways safer.

Twenty five years ago, the number of people killed on Colorado's highways reached as high as about 750 - approximately 200 more than in recent years, despite a large increase in population and miles traveled.

Achieving a safer Colorado is a tribute to smarter programs and to hard-working people, including the 1,300 members of the Department of Public Safety.

Peter A. Weir
Executive Director