The U.S. Marshals Service oversees the entire State of Alaska as a single district comprised of more than 586,000 square miles and more than 36,000 square miles of coastline. The U.S. Marshals Service serves the entire the state of Alaska, including the cities of Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Nome.
The Alaska District of the U.S. Marshals consists of 15 operational personnel, with 13 of them assigned to the Anchorage office and 2 assigned to the Fairbanks sub-office. The sub-offices of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Nome operate only during scheduled court dates.
U.S. marshals in Alaska work throughout a number of multi-agency partnerships, including the Alaska Fugitive Task Force, which was created to focus on the apprehension efforts regarding state and federal fugitives, particularly those wanted for drug trafficking and crimes of violence. The Alaska Fugitive Task Force has arrested more than 2,330 individuals and extradited more than 100 individuals to other agencies across the country.
How to Become a U.S. Marshal in Alaska
A U.S. marshal job description details the duties of these federal law enforcement officials, which includes:
- Providing judicial security
- Engaging in special missions and programs
- Carrying out fugitive investigations
- Providing witness security
- Transporting prisoners
- Performing asset forfeiture duties
To become a federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Marshals Service, individuals must be able to meet the minimum requirements. Candidates for U.S. marshal jobs must:
- Be a United States citizen
- Be between the ages of 21 and 36
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Meet the minimum requirements of the GL-7 level
The minimum requirements of the GL-7 include possessing either a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, one year of specialized experience in law enforcement/criminal investigations, or a combination of experience and education.
Individuals who qualify with a bachelor’s degree must be able to show proof of superior academic achievement, which includes possessing a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in all courses related to their major. Individuals without a history of superior academic achievement may qualify through education if, in addition to their bachelor’s degree, they possess at least one year of graduate education in a program related to law enforcement, such as criminal justice or sociology.
U.S. marshals are generally hired through recruitment drives, which include taking the Deputy U.S. Marshal (DUSM) Competitive Exam. Once hiring dates are announced, individuals must complete the online vacancy announcement through www.USAjobs.gov and submit their resume. Only those individuals who meet the minimum eligibility requirements are scheduled to take the examination, which is administered at one of the Office of Personnel Management’s testing locations across the country. Individuals who pass the exam are invited to interview with the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Training Process for New U.S. Marshals in Alaska
All new U.S. marshals must complete a 17 ½ week course of training, which takes place at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. But before individuals attend training, they must pass a physical fitness test that must be completed at least 6 months before attending the scheduled training program.
The U.S. Marshals Service recommends that all new trainees arrive to the training academy in excellent physical condition, as training consists of many hours of strenuous physical conditioning and intensive defensive tactics training.
Alaska’s Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation (JPATS)
The Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation (JPATS) is staffed with U.S. marshals in Alaska who are tasked with transporting prisoners between Anchorage and Seattle and carrying out law enforcement missions throughout the state. U.S. marshals in Alaska are also part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The District has an established fugitive tracking team trained in tactical response to rural fugitive investigations, with U.S. marshals within this task force often assisting the Alaska State Police with search-and-rescue operations.