There is seldom a dull moment for US Marshals in Louisiana. These law enforcement professionals are primarily concerned with ensuring the federal justice system is fully functional and efficient, while also forming local task forces when their unique expertise is required. One recent example of this was Operation Knock Knock, a task force comprised of US Marshals and 10 Baton Rouge-area law enforcement agencies that paid surprise visits to around 400 registered sex offenders to ensure they were in compliance.
Minimum Requirements to Become a US Marshal
Entry level US Marshal jobs are federally classified as GL-07. This ranking determines the starting salary amount as well as the required education prerequisites for these positions:
- A bachelor’s degree plus a good academic history
OR
- A year of specialized work experience in law enforcement or criminal investigations
OR
- A combination of education and specialized work experience
OR
- One year of graduate-level study in a subject area such as:
- Sociology
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Criminal Justice
- Law Enforcement
- Police Science
Applicants must be US citizens between the ages of 21-36, with the age requirement waived for eligible federal officers and veterans.
Training and Application
Having the appropriate education to qualify for US Marshal jobs is important because marshals will use these skills on a daily basis, whether they are writing reports, making quick logical decisions, or psychologically profiling a fugitive. Training is designed to augment and add to education, and takes place over 123 days at the US Marshal Service Basic Training Academy in Glynco, Georgia. Training requirements are stringent and new recruits should arrive at the academy in peak physical condition. Areas of focus will include:
- High threat trials
- Courtroom evidence and procedure
- Protective service training
- Officer survival
- Defensive tactics
- Building entry and search
- Prisoner search and restraint
When candidates are ready to face the hiring process they can start by checking for vacancies posted on the federal personnel’s USA Jobs website. Prospective marshals should be ready for an extensive background investigation, medical exam, and an inquisitive interview.
Working as a US Marshal in Louisiana
Newly assigned deputies will quickly discover there is no typical US Marshal job description in Louisiana. One day they may be participating in a task force made up of mostly local law enforcement officials and the next they may be in a TV production studio publicizing the description of a wanted fugitive.
US Marshals recently met with a video crew from the television show America’s Most Wanted in Lafayette to shoot an episode about a fugitive wanted there on charges relating to his battery of a woman before he stole her vehicle and a firearm, proceeded to a different location and stole another vehicle and firearm, and doing all this while on parole for a previous conviction.
In another recent action, US Marshals partnered with DEA Agents stationed in New Orleans to conduct an annual prescription drug take-back program. The local operation was part of a nationwide concerted effort to promote rx take-back, which are increasingly some of the most commonly abused drugs in the country. A recent tally of recovered prescription drugs from Louisiana combined with the national total to reach more than two million pounds.
US Marshal career opportunities in Louisiana extend across the state from three field offices and six satellite offices based in:
- Baton Rouge
- New Orleans
- Houma
- Shreveport
- Monroe
- Alexandria
- Opelousas
- Lake Charles
- Lafayette