Strategic Planning for the U.S. Marshal

What are the impact of strategic planning on a homeland security related issue?

Introduction

Any organization whether a public company, a p

rivate company, or a federal Agency needs to have a strategic plan in place. Much thought must be put into the strategic planning process because; a well thought out strategic plan should have a positive impact on the organization and should enable it reach its desired future state. The process involves a clear determination of the current state of the organization before an articulate vision can be developed. Afterwards, the mission, objectives and tactics should be developed that will lead to the achievement of the vision (Bradford & Tarcy, 2000). The US Marshal is a law enforcement agency in the United States under the department of justice.  Compared to other law enforcement agencies, it is the oldest in the federal government of the United States. Since the formation of the US Marshal, the judicial system has become safer; more people now have greater confidence in the system. These strategies have enabled it to tackle some of the challenges associated with homeland security agencies. The research paper gives details of some of the strategic planning processes at the US Marshal Service agency, and how these processes have impacted on the agency.

Strategic Planning and Its impact on the U.S Marshal Services

The main mission of the agency has been to protect the judiciary system (USMS, 2011). This is because the United States had experienced increased cases of assassinations of the federal judges in the years to 1989. It therefore developed the Judicial Security Division to carry out this mission successfully. To implement its strategies of protecting the US judicial system, the divisional leaders anticipate and deter all threats imminent in the judiciary system. Threats mainly include those that arise from terrorists, gang members of convicted criminals, and sometimes fugitives or the criminals themselves. For this to prove fruitful, the leaders through various programs and offices such as the Protective Intelligence and Protective Operations intensely train their officers so that they can be experts in carrying out protective investigations. They also offer guidance to those officers who carry out proceedings which pose high threats to their lives. Further, the department conducts research and creates intelligence products aimed at implementing the process (USMS, 2011). So far, since 1989, cases of assassinations have been lessened. However, the US Marshal continues to receive over 700 cases of threats to its judiciary members. According to the US department of Justice (2009), critics argue that the agency does not engage in appropriate measures to conduct the mission successfully and hence its inability to ward off the threats completely. It has also been said that the agency’s strategy towards alleviating the threats is bound not to work because of its over-reliance on historical statistics of threats. They recommend that the best approach for the agency is to adopt a proactive approach rather than dwell on trends from the past.

Transportation of criminals has for a long time been a daunting task in America, and across the globe. The main reason is that some prisoners use this period to plan how they will escape.  To combat this problem of transporting prisoners and criminal fugitives, the agency formed an alliance with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to form an efficient system of transportation (USMS, 2011). Due to this strategy, the agency’s Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation Systems has become one of the best in prisoner transportation. It also receives over 900 applications for prisoner transportation between various jurisdictions in the United States. To ensure that the strategy continues to work and their applicants get efficient services, the agency has placed tight security measures so that prisoners are transported to the desired destination without failure. The JPATS system also serves as a more economical means of prisoner transportation as compared to commercial airlines. This is because the commercial airlines are likely to charge more for these services and the security is likely to be limited. Because of the strategic direction that the agency took, it has become a major competitor to these commercial airlines which were previously used for criminal transportation. Also, it offers routine services to over 70 cities within the United States and internationally (USMS, 2011).

In order to succeed in its strategy of apprehending fugitives, the agency formed a program which lists its 15 most wanted fugitives. It was formed in 1983 and it is still being used to date. The main aim for the establishment of the program was to ensure that the agency protected the United States’ citizens from high profile criminals who threatened and still threaten the lives of individuals. The list of the 15 most wanted often includes offenders such as rapists, murderers, drug lords, and other crime organizers (USMS, 2011). Due to this strategic initiative, the department of Justice has elected the agency as the best in apprehending fugitives of other nations who are said to be in the United States. This has given it higher recognition status among the other agencies under the Department of Justice, for instance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration, among others. Further actions taken to ensure that the strategy works include more improvements to the strategic plan which were initiated in 2007. They include Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force formulation and active participation in the gang enforcement conferences, which are intended to help the agency share intelligence on appropriate ways of apprehending fugitives, and to increase their chances of capturing these fugitives.

When witnesses testify in court, they are mostly faced with a big threat to their lives when such criminals, especially high profile ones, decide to seek revenge. A strategy that the agency implements in ensuring that such witnesses are safe is by conducting a successful witness protection program. The program was initiated in 1971 and it has proved successful because the agency has been able to protect witnesses and their families. It does this by relocating them and giving them identities that ensure that they can not be traced by criminals who are after them. Since its formation, the agency has managed to protect over 8,300 individuals and their families (USMS, 2011). Credit also goes to the agency, for none of its witnesses who follow their security measures has ever been harmed while under their protection. This has been the case because they keep watch of the witnesses all day and night (USMS, 2011). Because of this strategy, the agency has been recognized as offering operations which are successful in fighting crime levels in the United States.

While working towards achieving organizational goals, it is important that any organization practices knowledge management, so that it continuously has a workforce that is equipped with the necessary skills and experiences that are essential in performing tasks. Strategic workforce planning has also been a part of the agency’s strategic plans to contribute hugely to homeland security. Strategic workforce planning involves continuously equipping employees with the relevant knowledge, and anticipating their knowledge needs. It also takes into consideration the forecasted loss of knowledge that will take place when part of the workforce decides to leave the organization (Bechet, 2008). The US Marshal continuously strives to equip its workforce with intelligence knowledge. It has also developed a Special Operations Group which is trained to anticipate and respond to urgent situations in the United States and its surroundings. To ensure that it also complies with employment laws, it strives to strike a balance in its workforce by encouraging women to take up roles in the agency. This has helped the agency gain recognition for complying with equal opportunity laws, and for always having a workforce that is ready to tackle any situation.

Finally the Agency’s leadership is an important factor on the agency’s ability to prosper in light of all the challenges that it faces. The leaders ensure that all efforts of the agency are geared towards achieving its mission and long term objectives. The United States Marshal has been able to produce some of the most notable marshals in the United States. Some of them include: Frank Anderson, John W. Marshall, and James E. Williams, among others. The leaders encourage their workforce to be proud of what they do, and they encourage everyone within the agency to communicate with other individuals from other agencies, in order to gain new ideas (Lewis, 2009). The leaders also encourage team members to deliberate on technical issues that may arise and try to come with innovative solutions. They realize that encouraging team work allows employees to feel at ease at the work place, have high motivation levels, and hence perform well in their tasks. This has helped the US Marshal to gain recognition in the United States for always coming up with innovative ways of providing justice in the judicial system which is their main duty and mission (Lewis, 2009).

Conclusion

Apart from the fact that some critics think that the agency does not perform its duties effectively, the agency has a lot to show to its peers and citizens of the United States, as well as in the rest of the world. It has managed to effectively implement its strategies, and this is evident from the numerous activities it has conducted successfully. Through its alliance with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it has been able to offer effective and efficient transportation of prisoners. Its witness protection program has proved beneficial to witnesses and families who seek their protection from criminals
and fugitives who are after them. Its strategy to list the 15 most wanted criminals has helped to apprehend more high profile criminals by making the public aware of them, and by encouraging them to give leads on how these criminals can be captured. Finally, its strategic workforce planning has enabled it to continuously find innovative ways of dealing with major challenges that arise. It is therefore evident that the agency is successful in its strategic planning process.

References

Bechet, T. P. (2008). Strategic Staffing: A Comprehensive System for Effective Workforce

Planning. AMACOM Div American Mngt Assn.

Bradford, R.W. and Tarcy, B. (2000). Simplified Strategic Planning: The No- Nonsense

Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast. Chandler House Press.

Lewis, T. (2009). US marshals service pursues recognition. PRweek, 12(2), 10-10. Retrieved

From: http://search.proquest.com/docview/232015995?accountid=45049

USMS. (2011). U.S marshals Service: Justice. Integrity. Service. Retrieved from:

http://www.justice.gov/marshals/

U.S Department of Justice. (2009). Review of the United States Marshals Service Judicial

Security Process. Retrieved from: http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/USMS/e0404/final.pdf

Having a similar paper?…we do the writing…..place your order here