One of the numerous, multi-agency efforts overseen by the U.S. Marshals Michigan District is the Fugitive Safe Surrender–Detroit program. This program is in line with the mission of the U.S. Marshals Service: Bringing fugitives to justice through tactical operations and criminal investigations.
In a similar program used in a nearby state, over the course of a four-day period in June 2008, more than 6,500 individuals with outstanding warrants surrendered to law enforcement. Seeing these results, the U.S. Marshals in Michigan were eager to bring the program to Detroit, especially considering that at that time there was a backlog of more than 30,000 outstanding warrants, both in the City of Detroit and the surrounding county.
This successful initiative resulted in 2,700 individuals processed inside the local church where the program was held, as well as another 3,800 individuals processed at mobile units in the church parking lot. In total, 11,000 warrants were cleared, including more than 165 felony warrants.
Requirements to Become a U.S. Marshal in Michigan
U.S. marshal jobs are reserved for individuals who can handle the rigors of a demanding job in federal law enforcement. As such, the U.S. Marshals Service sets strict minimum employment requirements and assessment protocols to ensure that only the most qualified candidates become U.S. marshals.
Like many other jobs in federal law enforcement, candidates for U.S. marshal jobs in Michigan must be United States citizens; they must be between the ages of 21 and 36; and they must possess current motor vehicle operator licenses.
The U.S. Marshals Service hires individuals as U.S. deputy marshals at the GL-7 federal pay grade and above. Therefore, individuals who want to learn how to become a U.S. marshal in Michigan must qualify through education and/or experience at the GL-7 level:
- To qualify through education at the GL-7 federal level, individuals must either possess:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, a minimum 3.5 GPA in all courses related to their major; and be in the upper third of the graduating class; OR
- At least one full year of graduate-level study in a major related to law enforcement, such as criminal justice, sociology, justice administration, criminology, etc.
- To qualify through experience at the GL-7 federal level, individuals must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-5 level; specialized experience includes specific work in criminal investigations/law enforcement
Individuals may also qualify if they possess an acceptable combination of education and experience.
Training is a requirement for all new U.S. deputy marshals. The required training program includes a 17 ½ week basic training program through the U.S. Marshals Service Academy, which is held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. Just a few topics covered during this physically demanding training program include:
- Firearms training
- Driver Training
- Court security
- Legal training
- Search and seizure
- Computer training
- Officer survival
As federal employees, U.S. marshals are afforded a comprehensive benefits program that includes:
- Thrift savings plan
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Pension plan
- Social security
- Employee Assistance program
US Marshal Districts in Michigan
The U.S. Marshals in Michigan are divided into the Western and Eastern Districts:
Western District of Michigan – The headquarters for the Western District of Michigan is located in Grand Rapids, with additional sub-offices located in Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Marquette. The U.S. Marshals Western District of Michigan also oversees the Grand Rapids Apprehension Team (GRATE) and Operation Guardian, a national initiative that targeted the most dangerous noncompliant sec offenders. Operation Guardian resulted in the arrest of 345 individuals who failed to register with state authorities as sex offenders.
Courthouse locations in the Western District include: Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Marquette.
Eastern District of Michigan – The Eastern District of Michigan is headquartered in Detroit, with additional sub-offices in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron. The U.S. marshals of the Eastern District of Michigan also oversee the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team, which, as of May 2013, netted 15,000 arrests. The Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team began in 2004 as a multi-agency initiative to take violent offenders of the street.