(a) The District Attorney of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit composed of Marengo, Greene, and Sumter Counties may appoint a chief investigator and, from time to time, additional investigators. The chief investigator and any additional investigators shall serve at the pleasure of the district attorney. The chief investigator and any additional investigators shall meet the minimum standards for law enforcement officers and hold a current certification from the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission.
(b) The chief investigator and any additional investigators shall have the same powers and authorities as deputy sheriffs and other law enforcement officers in this state. The investigators shall be paid in the same manner as other employees in the district attorney’s office. The investigators shall be responsible to the district attorney and shall perform duties as assigned by the district attorney.