Powers and duties of department and members of state troopers.

(a) The Department of Public Safety and each member of the state troopers is charged with the enforcement of all criminal laws of the state, and has the power of a peace officer of the state or a municipality and those powers usually and customarily exercised by peace officers. Each member of the state troopers may prevent crime, pursue and apprehend offenders, obtain legal evidence, institute criminal proceedings, execute any lawful warrant or order of arrest, make an arrest without warrant for a violation of law committed in the presence of the state trooper, and may cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in detecting crime, apprehending criminals, and preserving law and order in the state.

(b) The Department of Public Safety shall investigate an individual who applies to be employed as a village public safety officer under AS 18.65.672 or certified as a village public safety officer under AS 18.65.682 upon receipt of the materials listed in AS 18.65.674 (a)(1) from a village public safety officer grant recipient to determine whether the individual has been convicted of a disqualifying crime listed in AS 18.65.672 (a)(6).