(1) A board of county commissioners may employ a stock inspector if:
(a) the board has found, based on information that the board has gathered or that has been provided to it by the county attorney or sheriff, that livestock is being stolen, slaughtered, or otherwise illegally disposed of; and
(b) the county officers are unable to apprehend the individuals suspected of the offense or obtain the necessary evidence on which to base a prosecution.
(2) When a stock inspector is employed, the employment is only for the case or cases then under investigation. During the inspector's employment, the inspector is vested with the same police power and authority as the sheriff, within the limitation of the purposes for which the inspector is employed.