Conducting the census, confronting tax evaders, and making sure the rent is being paid on any building the government needs to use doesn’t sound nearly as glorious as tracking down fugitives, chasing bank robbers, or protecting witnesses against the organized crime syndicates they are testifying against, but each one of these is a job that the U.S. Marshals, our nation’s oldest Federal law enforcement agency, has done over its 227 years of existence. The history of the U.S. Marshals is an integral part of law enforcement in America, but few people know about the actual functions of this service. Fortunately for the students at South High and members of our community, Mike Earp, a former U.S. Marshal and author of the book U.S. Marshals: Inside America’s Most Storied Law Enforcement Agency, came to South High’s Library and Literacy Center to change that.

Earp started at the very beginning: 1789. When the First U.S. Congress was convened, they enacted the Judiciary Act, setting up the various high courts of the U.S. and some of the first Federal laws. However, there was no force to ensure that these new laws were followed throughout the nation. That is what prompted President George Washington to appoint to the first 13 U.S. Marshals for the first 13 regions, which has now evolved to over 3,900 U.S. Marshals and Deputies for 94 districts across the nation.

The main purpose of the U.S. Marshals has stayed the same: pursue criminals across state lines. The Marshals were created for this purpose so that jurisdiction disputes could be minimized. However, they did have many jobs until other services were created to take the load off of the overworked Marshals. These jobs included investigating tax discrepancies until the IRS was created, conducting the census until the creation of the Census Bureau, and tracking counterfeiting cases as well as protecting the president when requested until the Secret Service was formed to fill these roles.

With the emergence of the “Wild West,” the fugitive hunting role of the U.S. Marshals exploded. As the outlaws moved west, so did law enforcement, and the Marshals became known as “Frontier Lawmen.”  This was a busy and dangerous time for the Marshals. In fact, 103 Marshals were killed between 1870 and 1890. This accounts for half of all Marshals killed throughout their history. This danger was inevitable when some Marshals, such as the legendary Bass Reeves, who was also the first African-American Marshal West of the Mississippi River, were bringing in over 3,000 fugitives.  

Mike Earp’s connection to the U.S. Marshal service goes far beyond him, back all the way to the Wild West. Not only is his wife part of the service, but he is descended from Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp, the leading member of the Marshal force in the famous shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. While today the Earp family is remembered for being famous lawmen of the west, Mike Earp claims that even his grandmother claimed that the Earps of Tombstone were “More infamous than famous.”

Earp’s talk not only focussed on the past, but also touched on things to consider if students are looking to join the U.S. Marshals in the future. In the modern age, technology is becoming more and more important, and Earp emphasized how the Marshals are utilizing technology more than ever. Whether it is in their daily law enforcement, or in the background checks for those looking to work for the Marshals, it was made clear that all activity regardless of network, is looked at, indicating that anybody who would be interested in being a Marshal must be smart with their use of technology, both personal and otherwise. It was also said that although the Marshals do not require a four year degree, the vast majority of applicants do have a degree from a major university. Just like any other job, no matter the requirements, it is all about making oneself look as good as possible. Any experience beyond the requirements can only help one’s chances at making their goal of being a U.S. Marshal a reality. With this, Earp mirrored the words high schoolers so often hear: being a well-rounded person is essential to achieving post-secondary goals.

Over the course of the afternoon, much was said about the U.S. Marshals, and nobody walked out of South High’s Library and Literacy Center without new knowledge about our nation’s oldest law enforcement agency. However, while there were students present, the majority of attendees were members of the community. Yes, it is exciting to see the community and South High coming together, but one can only wonder when the students of South will realize how many great opportunities are made available to them. Until then, one can only hope that South High continues to provide more great events that are truly entertaining and educational in hopes that all members of Sheboygan, students and otherwise, take advantage of these programs.