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Friday, Dec. 19, 2025

Does the Colorado Bureau of Investigation supervise local police?

Cassis Tingley, The Colorado Sun
no

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has no direct authority over local law enforcement agencies in the state.CBI investigators help with major cases including homicide, organized crime and cyber crime, but only if local departments request support. The agency also conducts toxicological testing and analysis of DNA, ballistics and fingerprints. And it serves as a repository for biometric and criminal records and conducts background checks for firearm purchases.

The CBI assisted Chaffee County authorities after the May 2020 disappearance of Suzanne Morphew, whose body was found three years later near Moffat, leading to the refiling of charges against her former husband, Barry Morphew. It also led the Davis Mortuary case in Pueblo, where authorities found the improperly stored remains of at least 24 people behind a false wall in August.

The agency also collects and stores data on stolen vehicles and operates the state’s sex offender registry.

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