The Commissioner is authorized to appoint as many Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services law enforcement officers as he or she deems necessary to investigate and enforce any violation of the laws within the authority of the Department or which occur on Department property. Such officers shall meet the requirements of Article 1 of Chapter 17C of the N.C. Gen. Stat. and shall take the oath of office prescribed by Section 7 of Article VI of the North Carolina Constitution. Of these officers, the Commissioner may designate certain officers to also have the powers and the duties of a forest ranger enumerated in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-898 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-899 and the power to enforce the forest laws. A Department law enforcement officer may arrest, without warrant, any person or persons committing any crime in the officer’s presence or who such officer has probable cause for believing has committed a crime in the officer’s presence and bring such person or persons forthwith before a district court or other officer having jurisdiction. Department law enforcement officers shall also have authority to obtain and serve warrants including warrants for violation of any duly promulgated rule of the Department. ?(1975, c. 620, s. 3; 1977, c. 771, s. 4; 1983, c. 327, s. 5; 1989, c. 727, s. 64; 2011-145, s. 13.25(p), (q); 2014-103, s. 7.; 2018-5, s.17.1(a).)