The Arizona Department of Public Safety Capitol Police District History and Development The Arizona Capitol Security was established in 1966 and was overseen by the Superintendent of Public Buildings Maintenance for protection of state property and regulating traffic and parking around the Arizona Capitol Mall in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1972 the Arizona Capitol Security became the Arizona Capitol Police, was granted law enforcement powers and became responsible for providing security for the Arizona Executive Governors Tower; State legislative House and Senate and state buildings located on the Capitol Mall. For well over a decade several attempts were made to transition the Arizona Capitol Police over to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). The Arizona DPS has constitutional responsibilities to provide dignitary protection for the Governor of Arizona whose executive office is located in the Executive Governors Tower. The Arizona DPS also has had sworn supervisors assigned to the state legislative House & Senate buildings where they provide security. Both agencies provided law enforcement services at the Capitol Mall but remained separate agencies. The Arizona DPS would also provide the Arizona Capitol Police assistance with manpower and resources during large scale events and protests that occurred at the Arizona Capitol Mall in Phoenix and at the Southern Arizona Capitol Complex located in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Capitol Police was long seen as a sister agency of the Arizona DPS. In July 2011, legislation was enacted that transitioned the Arizona Capitol Police over to the Arizona DPS. The Arizona Capitol Police District continues to be responsible for providing critical law enforcement services for 8,000-10,000 state employees and 53 state buildings located at the Capitol Mall. A critical function of the Arizona Capitol Police District is staffing Police Assistants at static posts that monitor and search over 320,000 visitors and state employees who enter the Executive Governors Tower. These Police Assistants have seized weapons and deal with agitated individuals wanting to speak with the Governor and other elected officials. The Arizona Capitol Police District also has an explosives canine team that conducts daily explosives sweeps around the Capitol Mall, mailrooms and explosives sweeps during protests and events. Additionally, the Arizona Capitol Police District monitors protestors and activists who sometime gather daily at the Capitol Mall to express their First Amendment views. The Capitol Police District is committed to safeguarding individuals exercising their First Amendment rights along with providing public safety during protests. The Arizona Capitol Police provides escorts during evenings and weekends for state employees, provides protective services during terminations, hearings and monitors both transients and the homeless population who seek services from a homeless shelter located on the Capitol Mall. These are just some of the special details that the Capitol Police District conducts on a regular basis, which are in addition to their normal patrol functions such as traffic enforcement and criminal investigations. The Arizona Department of Public Safety/Capitol Police District strives to provide professional police services for the many state employees and public who visit the Arizona State Capitol Mall daily. .