U. S. Marshals

Created in 1789, the U.S. Marshals Service is America's oldest federal law enforcement agency. The service began as a team of 13 handpicked officers charged with maintaining the security of federal courts. Today there are more than 90 U.S. marshals and over 3,000 deputy U.S. marshals or criminal investigators. In addition to protecting federal courts and judges, they are responsible for housing of federal detainees prior to trial, investigation and pursuit of federal fugitives, and the administration of the Witness Security Program, among many other duties. U.S. Marshals tracks the history of this pioneering national police force, examining its purpose, duties, and tactics in detail. Modern law enforcement agencies fight crime on many levels, from the street to the boardroom to cyberspace. In many ways the history of modern civilization is the history of crime and the battle against it. As society and technology have become more complex and connected, so have criminal enterprises and the police organizations that oppose them. Each book in the Law Enforcement Agencies series traces the evolution of a specific police force or unit from its inception to the present. The series explores the full range of crime fighting tactics in use today, from the cop on the beat to high-tech surveillance and computer forensics. Book jacket.