Kentucky is home to what has been identified as the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. US Marshals operating in Kentucky face this and many other challenges, both alone and as part of a team. An important aspect of the US Marshal job description in Kentucky is the ability to work well with fellow agencies. US Marshals in Kentucky cooperate on a regular basis with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including:
- Kentucky Joint Terrorism Task Force in Louisville
- Louisville Police Department Special Investigation Division
- Kentucky Intelligence Fusion Center
- Lexington-Fayette Urban County Special Victims Section
- Kentucky State Police Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center
- Bowling Green Police Department Criminal Investigations Division
US Marshals are based out of two district offices in Kentucky, and provide further coverage through eight satellite offices:
- Lexington
- Covington
- Frankfurt
- Ashland
- Pikeville
- London
- Louisville
- Bowling Green
- Owensboro
- Paducah
US Marshal career opportunities in Kentucky are open to US citizens who are between the ages of 21-36, with some exceptions for federal officers and veterans.
Getting the Right Education
Because newly recruited deputy US Marshals start at the GL-07 federal level of classification, meeting the education requirement can be accomplished one of a few different ways. The highest qualification is a year of master-level study in a field such as:
- Criminal Justice
- Sociology
- Law Enforcement
- Forensic Science
- Crime Scene Investigation
If not by graduate-level study, candidates may also qualify by having a good academic record and a bachelor’s degree in any field of study.
Those without a year of graduate study or a bachelor’s degree may also combine education and relevant work experience, or simply have a year of specialized law enforcement experience.
Candidates can apply to become US Marshals online through the main federal employment website. When there are vacancies for US Marshal jobs in Kentucky they will be posted here. After filling out an application, candidates will be notified if they qualify for the next steps, which include:
- Thorough background investigation
- Medical evaluation, including to check for normal hearing and vision, with corrected vision acceptable within limits
- Interview with personnel officials
The initial training for newly hired deputies takes place in Georgia over the course of 17.5 weeks. Training requirements include instruction in the foundational areas of:
- Legal training and courtroom procedures
- Defensive tactics and officer survival
- First aid
- High threat trials
- Prisoner search and restraint
Collaborative Efforts in Kentucky with Local Law Enforcement
Marshals will take the skills they learn from basic training and use these in their collaborative operations with local law enforcement agencies throughout Kentucky. Some recent examples of these include:
- At the behest of the Lexington Police Department, US Marshals arrested a suspect wanted on charges related to the shooting death of a resident of the city. Marshals conducted the operation successfully with no one else being hurt.
- The main suspect in a different startling Lexington case was recently brought into custody by US Marshals to face justice. The man is accused of carjacking a woman, kidnapping her, sexually assaulting her, and finally robbing her before fleeing with her vehicle. Marshals considered the man to be armed and dangerous.
- US Marshals were able to arrest a crafty Louisville bank robber who had managed to elude authorities on several other previous occasions. The thief’s strategy consisted of stating to bank tellers that he had rigged explosives to the bank’s alarm which would detonate if it was triggered, and that he had a friend monitoring police communication channels.