Criminal Investigator III; Lakewood - Liquor & Tobacco Enforcement Division

Overview

The Liquor Enforcement Division's mission is to promote public safety, support economic growth, and ensure the responsible sale and consumption of liquor and tobacco products through the fair, transparent, and consistent administration of Colorado's liquor, tobacco, and nicotine laws.

The department information describes the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) mission and values, including service, teamwork, accountability, integrity, and respect, and notes the department's vision to empower businesses and individuals through quality customer service, innovation, and collaboration.

The professional in this position is a certified Peace Officer - Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST - active, in good standing, no restrictions) who fulfills statutory responsibility to administer and enforce Colorado's alcohol beverage and tobacco laws in a consistent and common-sense manner. It serves and protects the Colorado public and fosters a clean, healthy, three-tier industry within the state for the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol beverages.

The Criminal Investigator III is located in the Liquor & Tobacco Enforcement Division and is responsible for conducting investigations of licensed liquor and tobacco businesses to ensure compliance with Colorado laws and regulations. Duties include inspections, compliance checks, and undercover operations, preparing investigative reports, and testifying in administrative or criminal proceedings. The investigator will gather evidence through interviews, surveillance, and database research, and may issue summonses or make arrests as needed.

• Upon assignment or self-initiated activity conducts inspections, compliance checks and plans investigations and/or undercover investigations of alleged violations of Colorado Liquor and Tobacco Statutes, Criminal Statutes, and Regulations to determine if a violation has occurred and takes appropriate action, such as issuing a criminal summons or completing a charging document for review by management and the appointing authority.
• Conduct interviews in response to active administrative and criminal investigations. Interview witnesses, suspects, complainants, applicants, licensees, and the general public to detect, discover, and obtain additional information or evidence related to the investigation.
• Understand and utilize Public Service Record (PSR) CSP evidence tracking system, Callyo and any other databases to support administrative and criminal investigations.
• Make physical arrests when necessary for violations of law during liquor and tobacco investigations, consistent with Department policy.
• Conduct covert operations and/or surveillance of a Colorado Liquor or Tobacco license to produce evidence for an alleged administrative action or criminal prosecution. Operations shall be approved by an Agent in Charge before participation; appointing authority shall be notified prior to participation for deconfliction or drafting of an operation plan with coordinated activities with other agencies.

• Responds to complaints and proactively visits/inspects Colorado liquor and tobacco licensed businesses, as an armed peace officer to prevent and discourage prohibited possession, sale, and consumption on or off the licensed premises.
• Applies standard fact-finding analysis, uses problem-solving, specialized investigative techniques, and available technological tools to conduct investigations; develops intervention strategies for immediate onsite correction and long-term compliance.
• Conducts interviews of complainants, applicants and licensees for license approvals or denials and for administrative proceedings involving liquor and tobacco regulations; conducts interviews of victims, witnesses, and suspects and issues criminal summonses related to liquor and tobacco.
• Provides clear, concise, accurate, and factual summaries of investigations for criminal prosecution or administrative action.
• Plans and performs regular underage sale compliance checks of liquor and tobacco businesses that may result in criminal enforcement.
• Prepares sworn affidavits for judicial…