The U.S. Marshals Service office was established in Arizona in 1863, and the District of Arizona was created in 1910. The District became effective in 1912 when the State of Arizona was created. The U.S. Marshals Service in Arizona now serves the entire state, including the cities of Phoenix, Flagstaff, Prescott, Tucson, and Yuma, where federal court operations take place.
In addition to providing judicial security and witness security and the transportation of prisoners, the U.S. Marshals Service in Arizona has a number of career opportunities for U.S. marshals, as it participates in a number of multi-agency task forces, including the HIDTA Enforcement Agencies Task Force (HEAT) in Phoenix, Yuma, and Tucson, which is focused on fugitive investigation and apprehension.
U.S. Marshal Job and Training Requirements in Arizona
The job description of a U.S. marshal includes protecting the federal judiciary, transporting federal prisoners, enforcing court and Attorney General orders, executing civil and criminal processes, and apprehending federal fugitives, among others. Protecting federal judicial officials is a core mission for the U.S. marshals, as is the location, apprehension and extradition of foreign fugitives.
U.S. marshals are highly trained and qualified federal law enforcement officers who must meet a number of minimum employment requirements:
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must be between the ages of 21 and 36
- Must Possess a valid driver’s license
- Must meet the minimum requirements for federal level GL-7, which include: possessing a bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement; OR possessing at least one year of graduate education in a program related to law enforcement; OR possessing at least one year of specialized experience at the GL-5 level; OR a combination of education and experience
Typical bachelor degree programs for individuals entering the field of federal law enforcement in Arizona include:
- Criminal justice
- Criminology
- Police Science
- Emergency Management
- Homeland Security
- Sociology
- Public Administration
Candidates for employment with the U.S. Marshals Service must also be able to successfully pass the agency’s pre-employment assessments, which include:
- A physical fitness assessment
- A structured panel interview
- Competitive written examination
Achieving a U.S. marshal career includes the successful completion of the U.S. Marshals Service Training Academy, a 17-week program located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. Trainees must pass all 7 examinations of basic training with a score of at least 70 percent. Further, during the last week of training, all trainees must pass another physical fitness test, called the final FIT, in order to graduate training.
U.S. Marshal Operations in Arizona
The U.S. Marshals Service has an impressive history of service for the state of Arizona:
- January 2014: An individual wanted by the U.S. marshal-led Arizona WANTED Violent Task Force was arrested at the U.S. Border Patrol check point, south of Tucson.
- January 2014: An Arizona man, who was wanted by the U.S. Marshal-led Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team, was arrested in Eloy, Arizona, during a high-risk vehicle stop.
- Deputy U.S. marshals in Phoenix, Arizona, captured an individual on the state’s 15 Most Wanted Capture list. He was arrested on allegations of assisting a criminal street gang, aggravated assault, attempted murder, and a drive-by shooting.
- June 2013: Deputy U.S. Marshals extradited an individual from Mexico and booked on charges of sexual abuse of a child.