(a) The following persons are not peace officers but may exercise the power to serve warrants as specified in Sections 1523 and 1530 during the course and within the scope of their employment, if they receive a course in the exercise of that power pursuant to Section 832. The authority and power of the persons designated under this section shall extend to any place in the state:

(1) Persons employed as investigators of an auditor-controller or director of finance of any county or persons employed by a city and county who conduct investigations under the supervision of the controller of the city and county, who are regularly employed and paid in that capacity, provided that the primary duty of these persons shall be to engage in investigations related to the theft of funds or the misappropriation of funds or resources, or investigations related to the duties of the auditor-controller or finance director as set forth in Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 26880), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 26900), Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 26970), and Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 26980) of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code.

(2) Persons employed by the Department of Justice as investigative auditors, provided that the primary duty of these persons shall be to investigate financial crimes. Investigative auditors shall only serve warrants for the production of documentary evidence held by financial institutions, Internet service providers, telecommunications companies, and third parties who are not reasonably suspected of engaging or having engaged in criminal activity related to the documentary evidence for which the warrant is requested.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, persons designated pursuant to this section shall not carry firearms.

(c) Persons designated pursuant to this section shall be included as “peace officers of the state” under paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 11105 for the purpose of receiving state summary criminal history information and shall be furnished that information on the same basis as peace officers of the state designated in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 11105.

(d) Unless otherwise specifically provided, this section confers to persons designated in this section the same authority and power to serve warrants as conferred by Section 830.11.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 81, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.)