(a) On and after June 15, 2012, and until July 1, 2013, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall appoint and maintain a sufficient number of sworn state police personnel to efficiently maintain the operation of the Division of State Police as determined by the commissioner in the commissioner’s judgment. On and after July 1, 2013, the commissioner shall appoint and maintain a sufficient number of sworn state police personnel to efficiently maintain the operation of the division as determined by the commissioner in accordance with the recommended standards developed pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. Any sworn state police personnel appointed by the commissioner on or after July 31, 2020, shall be certified by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council under section 7-294d within one year of appointment.

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(b) On or before February first of each odd-numbered year, the commissioner shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with section 11-4a, providing an assessment of the number of sworn state police personnel necessary to perform division operations for the biennium beginning July first of that year. If such report recommends a staffing level of less than one thousand two hundred forty-eight sworn state police personnel, the commissioner shall include in such report an assessment of the impact to public safety and any potential negative impact specifically attributable to such deviation in staffing level.

(c) The commissioner shall appoint from among sworn state police personnel not more than three lieutenant colonels who shall be in the unclassified service as provided in section 5-198. Any permanent employee in the classified service who accepts appointment to the position of lieutenant colonel in the unclassified service may return to the classified service at such employee’s former rank. The commissioner shall appoint not more than twelve majors who shall be in the classified service. The position of major in the unclassified service shall be abolished on July 1, 2011. Any permanent employee in the classified service who accepts appointment to the position of major in the unclassified service prior to July 1, 2011, may return to the classified service at such permanent employee’s former rank. The commissioner, subject to the provisions of chapter 67, shall appoint such numbers of captains, lieutenants, sergeants, detectives and corporals as the commissioner deems necessary to officer efficiently the state police force.

(d) The commissioner shall establish such divisions as the commissioner deems necessary for effective operation of the state police force and consistent with budgetary allotments, a Criminal Intelligence Division and a state-wide organized crime investigative task force to be engaged throughout the state for the purpose of preventing and detecting any violation of the criminal law, a Hate Crimes Investigative Unit for the purposes described in section 29-7d and, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, an investigative unit within the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to conduct sting operations relating to the online sexual abuse of minors for the purposes described in section 29-7e. The head of the Criminal Intelligence Division shall be of the rank of sergeant or above. The head of the Hate Crimes Investigative Unit shall be of the rank of sergeant or above, and shall serve as a member of the State-Wide Hate Crimes Advisory Council, established under section 51-279f. The head of the state-wide organized crime investigative task force shall be a police officer. The head of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the investigative unit conducting sting operations relating to the online sexual abuse of minors, shall be of the rank of sergeant or above.

(e) Salaries of the members of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall be fixed by the Commissioner of Administrative Services as provided in section 4-40. State police personnel may be promoted, demoted, suspended or removed by the commissioner, but no final dismissal from the service shall be ordered until a hearing has been had before the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection on charges preferred against such officer. Each state police officer shall, before entering upon such officer’s duties, be sworn to the faithful performance of such duties. The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall designate an adequate patrol force for motor patrol work exclusively.

(f) The Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee shall conduct a study to develop recommended standards for use by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in determining the commissioner’s proposed level of staffing for the Division of State Police for purposes of the biennial budget. The committee, in developing such recommended standards, shall consider the following: Technological improvements, federal mandates and funding, statistical data on rates and types of criminal activity, staffing of patrol positions, staffing of positions within the division and department that do not require the exercise of police powers, changes in municipal police policy and staffing and such other criteria as the committee deems relevant. On or before January 9, 2013, the committee shall report such recommended standards to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and shall forward a copy thereof to the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection.