(a) The director of enforcement and compliance and all enforcement agents are hereby vested with the power and authority of law enforcement officers in the execution of the duties imposed upon the state gaming agency by the provisions of the tribal gaming oversight act and tribal-state gaming compacts and shall have the authority to:

(1) Make arrests, conduct searches and seizures and carry firearms while investigating violations of this act and during routine conduct of their duties as determined by the executive director;

(2) make arrests, conduct searches and seizures and generally enforce all criminal laws of the state as violations of such laws are encountered by such employees during the routine performance of their duties; and

(3) issue notices to appear pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-2408, and amendments thereto.

(b) No employee of the state gaming agency shall be certified to carry firearms under the provisions of this section without having first successfully completed the firearms training course or courses prescribed for law enforcement officers under subsection (a) of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-5604a, and amendments thereto. The executive director may adopt rules and regulations prescribing other training required for such employees.

(c) It shall be the duty of the Kansas bureau of investigation to conduct, or assist enforcement personnel of the state gaming agency and other law enforcement agencies in conducting, investigations of violations of tribal-state gaming compacts, criminal violations of the laws of this state at tribal gaming facilities, criminal violations of the tribal gaming oversight act and other criminal activities related to tribal gaming. Such duty may be performed independently of or in conjunction with employees of the state gaming agency designated pursuant to this section or tribal gaming commission inspectors. Employees of the state gaming agency shall report immediately any criminal violations of the tribal gaming oversight act and any criminal activities or suspected criminal activities at tribal gaming facilities to the Kansas bureau of investigation. Employees of the Kansas bureau of investigation shall report any violations or suspected violations of the tribal gaming oversight act to the executive director or to employees of the state gaming agency designated pursuant to this section.