(1) The Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety shall be the Commissioner of Public Safety.
(2) The Commissioner of Public Safety shall establish the organizational structure of the Department of Public Safety, which shall include the creation of any units necessary to implement the duties assigned to the department and consistent with specific requirements of law, including, but not limited to:(a) The Mississippi State Patrol which shall be the uniformed divisions of the Department of Public Safety, which shall include:(i) The Office of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol;(ii) The Office of the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division; and(iii) The Office of Capitol Police;(b) The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which shall include:(i) The Bureau of Criminal Investigations;(ii) The Bureau of Narcotics;(iii) The Bureau of Homeland Security, which may also be referred to as the Office of Homeland Security; and(iv) The Bureau of Forensics, which may also be referred to as the Office of Forensic Laboratories and shall include the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory and the State Medical Examiner;(c) The Mississippi Law Enforcement Division, which shall include:(i) The Office of Public Safety and Planning;(ii) The Office of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy;(iii) The Driver Services Bureau; and(iv) The Office of Standards and Training; and(d) Support Services, which shall include all other support divisions related to the operations of the Department of Public Safety.
(a) The Mississippi State Patrol which shall be the uniformed divisions of the Department of Public Safety, which shall include:(i) The Office of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol;(ii) The Office of the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division; and(iii) The Office of Capitol Police;
(i) The Office of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol;
(ii) The Office of the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division; and
(iii) The Office of Capitol Police;
(b) The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which shall include:(i) The Bureau of Criminal Investigations;(ii) The Bureau of Narcotics;(iii) The Bureau of Homeland Security, which may also be referred to as the Office of Homeland Security; and(iv) The Bureau of Forensics, which may also be referred to as the Office of Forensic Laboratories and shall include the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory and the State Medical Examiner;
(i) The Bureau of Criminal Investigations;
(ii) The Bureau of Narcotics;
(iii) The Bureau of Homeland Security, which may also be referred to as the Office of Homeland Security; and
(iv) The Bureau of Forensics, which may also be referred to as the Office of Forensic Laboratories and shall include the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory and the State Medical Examiner;
(c) The Mississippi Law Enforcement Division, which shall include:(i) The Office of Public Safety and Planning;(ii) The Office of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy;(iii) The Driver Services Bureau; and(iv) The Office of Standards and Training; and
(i) The Office of Public Safety and Planning;
(ii) The Office of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy;
(iii) The Driver Services Bureau; and
(iv) The Office of Standards and Training; and
(d) Support Services, which shall include all other support divisions related to the operations of the Department of Public Safety.
(3) The department shall be headed by a commissioner, who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The appointment of the commissioner shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. The commissioner shall have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
(4) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the commissioner shall appoint heads of offices, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. The commissioner shall have the authority to organize the offices established by subsection (2) of this section as deemed appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the department. The commissioner may assign to the appropriate offices such powers and duties as deemed appropriate to carry out the department’s lawful functions. The organization charts of the department shall be presented annually with the budget request of the Governor for review by the Legislature.
(5) The commissioner shall appoint, from within the Department of Public Safety, a statewide safety training officer who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner and whose duty it shall be to perform public training for both law enforcement and private persons throughout the state concerning proper emergency response to the mentally ill, terroristic threats or acts, domestic conflict, other conflict resolution, and such other matters as the commissioner may direct.
(6) The commissioner, after consultation with the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police and the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association, shall be responsible for establishing guidelines for response to active shooter situations and any related jurisdictional issues.
(7) The commissioner shall establish within the department the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security for the purpose of seeing that the laws are faithfully executed and for the purpose of investigating cyber-related crimes and suppressing crimes of violence and acts of intimidation and terror. The commissioner is hereby authorized to employ within the Office of Homeland Security a director, investigators and other qualified personnel as he may deem necessary to make investigation of cyber-related crimes, crimes of violence and acts of terrorism or intimidation, to aid in the arrest and prosecution of persons charged with such cyber-related crimes, crimes of violence, acts of terrorism or intimidation, or threats of violence and to perform other duties as necessary to accomplish these purposes. Investigators and other law enforcement personnel employed by the commissioner shall have full power to investigate, apprehend, and arrest persons committing cyber-related crimes, acts of violence, intimidation, or terrorism anywhere in the state, and shall be vested with the power of police officers in the performance of such duties as provided herein. Such investigators and other personnel shall perform their duties under the direction of the commissioner, or his designee. The commissioner shall be authorized to offer and pay suitable rewards to other persons for aiding in such investigation and in the apprehension and conviction of persons charged with cyber-related crimes, acts of violence, or threats of violence, or intimidation, or acts of terrorism.
(8) The commissioner shall establish within the Office of Homeland Security a Mississippi Analysis and Information Center (MSAIC Fusion Center) which shall be the highest priority for the allocation of available federal resources for statewide information sharing, including the deployment of personnel and connectivity with federal data systems. Subject to appropriation therefor, the Mississippi Fusion Center shall employ three (3) regional analysts dedicated to analyzing and resolving potential threats identified by the agency’s statewide social media intelligence platform and the dissemination of school safety information.
(9) Nothing within this section shall expand or contract the eligibility for service retirements benefits under Section 25-13-3.