(1)All officers of the Colorado
state patrol have all the powers of any peace officer to:
(a)(I) Make arrest upon view and with or without warrant for any violation of
any law of this state regulating the operation of vehicles and use of the highways or
concerning motor vehicle registration; motor fuel tax laws; public utility laws, rules,
and regulations, insofar as they pertain to motor carriers as defined in section 42-4-235, C.R.S.; the inspection laws of this state; and any criminal law of this state if,
during an officer's exercise of powers or performance of duties under this section,
probable cause is established that a violation of said criminal law has occurred;
(II)Enforce the automobile theft law, article 5 of title 42, C.R.S.;
(III)Inspect, examine, investigate, i
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(1) All officers of the Colorado
state patrol have all the powers of any peace officer to:
(a) (I) Make arrest upon view and with or without warrant for any violation of
any law of this state regulating the operation of vehicles and use of the highways or
concerning motor vehicle registration; motor fuel tax laws; public utility laws, rules,
and regulations, insofar as they pertain to motor carriers as defined in section 42-4-235, C.R.S.; the inspection laws of this state; and any criminal law of this state if,
during an officer's exercise of powers or performance of duties under this section,
probable cause is established that a violation of said criminal law has occurred;
(II) Enforce the automobile theft law, article 5 of title 42, C.R.S.;
(III) Inspect, examine, investigate, impound, or hold any vehicle for violation
of said laws of this state;
(b) Require the operator of any vehicle to stop and, upon demand, exhibit his
driver's license and registration card issued for such vehicle and submit to a
complete inspection of such vehicle and the equipment, interior, cargo, license
plates, and any other paper or document required by law to be in his possession or
to an inspection and test of the equipment of such vehicle when there is reasonable
cause to believe that the vehicle is being operated in violation of any law of this
state regulating the operation of vehicles or use of the highways or any other law
mentioned in this part 2;
(c) Inspect any vehicle of a type required to be registered or licensed under a
provision of law in any public place where such vehicles are held for sale or
wrecking for the purpose of locating stolen vehicles, or parts thereof, and
investigate the title and registration thereof;
(d) Serve all warrants, notices, summonses, or other processes relating to
the enforcement of laws regulating the operation of the vehicles or the use of the
highways and serve distraint warrants issued by the public utilities commission or
department of revenue of the state of Colorado;
(e) Investigate traffic accidents and make reports thereof to the chief and
make such reports to the department of transportation and department of revenue
as these departments may require, but the reports required to be made to the chief
in this paragraph (e) shall not be public records and shall be for the confidential use
of the Colorado state patrol;
(f) Direct, control, and regulate all traffic at any intersection or any portion of
streets or highways or elsewhere in this state when it is deemed necessary in the
interest of public safety and for the safe and speedy movement of persons and
property;
(g) Investigate reported thefts of vehicles, motor vehicles, trailers, and
semitrailers and take and hold any stolen vehicles or parts thereof discovered in
any such investigation;
(h) Stop any truck, automobile, or other vehicle found carrying or suspected
of carrying any kind of livestock or poultry or the carcasses thereof or any hides of
cattle for the purpose of examining and checking said load for permits, written
statements, or livestock inspectors' certificates and make arrest for any violation of
the law in this state relating to livestock theft and the transportation thereof. At the
request of the state board of stock inspection commissioners, the Colorado state
patrol shall cooperate with said board in the enforcement of any law within the
jurisdiction of said state board of stock inspection commissioners or any rule or
regulation issued by said board.
(i) Enforce all of the laws of this state with respect to grounds and buildings
owned by the state or any agency or institution thereof. Such enforcement shall not
supersede the jurisdiction of the sheriff or other peace officers of the county, city,
or city and county within which such enforcement may be required but shall be in
addition thereto. In any such activity, officers have and are hereby granted all
powers of sheriffs and other peace officers.
(2) The powers specified in subsection (1) of this section are vested in the
chief and every officer of the Colorado state patrol, and it is their primary duty to
promote safety, protect human life, and preserve the highways of this state by the
courteous and strict enforcement of the laws and regulations of this state relating
to highways and the traffic on such highways and all other laws of this state
concerning inspection, registration, and regulation of all vehicles and the cargoes
transported therein and to assist other state departments in the collection of motor
vehicle license fees and taxes, motor fuel taxes, and highway compensation taxes.
(3) The chief and all the officers appointed under the provisions of this part
2, subject to the exceptions stated in this subsection (3), shall not be used at any
time, nor under any circumstances, by any authority of the state in any manner in
the enforcement of any law other than that specifically provided in this part 2 or as
may be otherwise specifically provided in any other law of this state; except that
they are empowered to assist or aid any sheriff or other peace officer in the
performance of his duties upon his request or the request of other local officials
having jurisdiction, and, on such occasions while so acting, they have the powers of
any sheriff or other peace officer. Furthermore, they shall not be deputized as
deputy sheriffs or as other peace officers by any local or state authority, nor shall
they be permitted to serve or act on strike duty, lockouts, or other labor disputes.
(4) The highway users tax fund, created in section 43-4-201, C.R.S., shall be
reimbursed out of the general fund or the governor's contingency fund or from any
other appropriation for the purpose for all expenses of the Colorado state patrol
incurred pursuant to paragraph (i) of subsection (1) and subsection (3) of this
section.