July 25, 2025 – CBI – Lakewood, CO – The Colorado Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce Armando Saldate III as the new Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. He will oversee nearly 400 CBI employees across Colorado devoted to serving victims and solving cases through criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services and the management of criminal justice information.
In his new role, Saldate will carry out the CBI’s mission to be the state’s leading resource of exceptional law enforcement assistance to local, county and state criminal justice agencies. Saldate is a relationship builder who will maintain effective communication with our law enforcement, community, and policymaking partners.
Most recently, Saldate was the Executive Director of the Denver Department of Public Safety. Director Saldate oversaw the Denver Police Department, Denver Fire Department, Denver Sheriff Department, Denver 9-1-1 and Community Corrections.
Director Saldate is a long-time law enforcement professional, having started his career in public safety as the top police recruit with the Phoenix Police Department in 1993. While with Phoenix PD, Saldate focused on gang violence reduction and was deputized as a Special Agent and US Marshal with the FBI’s Phoenix Division. While in that position, he was a member of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and completed assignments with the Counter Terrorism Information Center, Organized Crime Bureau Intelligence Unit, FBI Violent Gang Task Force, Dignitary Protection Unit, and others.
After relocating to Colorado, Saldate joined the Denver Sheriff Department (DSD)) as a senior investigator, and later served as a supervisor in DSD’s Data Science Unit and as the Civilian Commander in the Internal Affairs Bureau before eventually being appointed as Denver’s Public Safety Director.
Saldate replaces interim director Rebecca Spiess, a law enforcement executive with decades of experience, who stepped in when former Director Chris Schaefer retired in May, after a 30-year career in law enforcement.
Saldate becomes the 12th director in the history of the CBI dating back to 1967. His first day as Director will be July 28, 2025.
