(a) The Chief State’s Attorney shall appoint four suitable persons to assist, on a state-wide basis, all the state’s attorneys and whose title shall be chief inspector. The Chief State’s Attorney shall appoint such inspectors as the criminal business of the office of the Chief State’s Attorney, in the opinion of the Chief State’s Attorney, may require, and each state’s attorney may appoint such inspectors as the criminal business of the judicial district, in the opinion of the Chief State’s Attorney, may require. Each inspector shall make investigations concerning criminal offenses which the Chief State’s Attorney or the appropriate state’s attorney may have reason to believe have been committed or which may be committed and to assist in all investigations and other matters pertaining to the criminal business of the office or the judicial district and in procuring evidence for the state in any criminal matter, provided, to the extent practicable, one of the inspectors appointed by the Chief State’s Attorney shall investigate, and procure evidence in, environmental matters on a full-time basis.

(b) Any person so appointed shall have the same power of arrest within the state as has any officer of the state police. Any chief inspector or inspector may exercise any power, authority or privilege that may have been exercised by any county detective prior to July 1, 1973, or any chief detective or detective in the Division of Criminal Justice prior to October 1, 1976.

(c) The provisions of chapter 65 and chapter 66 pertaining to disability compensation and death benefits and retirement provisions shall remain in full force and effect as to chief inspectors and inspectors appointed under the provisions of this section.

(d) This section shall not be construed to limit the authority of the Division of Criminal Justice to require the assistance of state and local police departments in the investigation of any matter with which the division is concerned. If any such assistance is required, the Division of Criminal Justice shall have primacy concerning any such investigation, provided the state and local police shall maintain any investigatory authority provided by law. Any conflict between the Division of Criminal Justice and the state and local police with respect to any such investigation shall be resolved by the Chief State’s Attorney.

(e) All state and local police, law enforcement and criminal justice agencies shall cooperate with the division in carrying out the provisions of this chapter and shall provide such information and assign such personnel as may be required.