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US Marshals Service: Taming Today's Frontier

NCJ Number
118441
Journal
Security Management Volume: 33 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1989) Pages: 27-31
Author(s)
J H Murphy
Date Published
1989
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Federal court security, a primary responsibility of the U.S. Marshals Service, involves the protection of more than 1,700 Federal judges and magistrates as well as numerous other court officials, jurors, witnesses, and spectators.
Abstract
Court security has become a priority for the Marshals Service over the past decade because of the increase in high-threat or sensitive trials. To assist in this effort, the Marshals Service, the Federal judiciary in each district, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts established the court security officer (CSO) program in 1983. CSO's, who are sworn special deputy marshals, screen all persons entering court facilities during trials. Another aid to court security is the Marshal Service's Threat Analysis Division (TAD). TAD provides immediate, accurate assessments of threats. TAD's importance has heightened with the increasing number of threats against Federal judges and the frequency with which dangerous criminals are prosecuted. Marshals rely heavily on support equipment in performing courtroom security operations. The equipment includes magnetometers, closed-circuit television cameras, X-ray machines, duress alarms, and intrusion alarms. The Marshals Service also administers the Witness Security Program, which provides witnesses and their families with new identities and new lives when the risk of testifying is particularly great.

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