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New U.S. marshal promises cooperation

Ed Hurley takes over as U.S. marshal for state's Middle District

By John Hinton | Journal Reporter

Published: March 25, 2009

The newly appointed local U.S. marshal said yesterday that he wants to work closely with state and local authorities to arrest fugitives in central North Carolina.

"My focus is going to be working with our task forces and help get these bad guys off the streets," Ed Hurley said.

"If they are out hunting someone and they give us a call, we will help hunt them, too."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder named Hurley as the U.S. marshal for the Middle District of North Carolina last week. Judge Carlton Tilley of U.S. District Court swore in Hurley on Friday.

Hurley replaces Harlan Costner, who resigned on Jan. 31.

Hurley, 52, supervises 23 deputy U.S. marshals and administrators and 50 court-security officers, he said. His office works with seven to eight task forces that consist of law-enforcement officers in such cities as Winston-Salem, High Point and Durham.

"It is a working man's job," Hurley said as he described his duties.

U.S. marshals will continue to work with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Hurley said.

The presence of gangs and drug trafficking are law-enforcement challenges for the marshals, he said..

The marshals' duties include arresting fugitives, transporting federal defendants from local jails to federal courtrooms, providing security for federal judges and court personnel, supervising federal prisoners in local jails, and operating a witness-security program and a special-operations tactical unit.

Hurley is one of 94 U.S. marshals and oversees a budget of $3.22 million, a spokesman for the marshals' service said. Hurley's salary is $154,000 a year

A native of Winston-Salem, Hurley grew up in High Point. He graduated from Andrews High School in 1974 and served 3½ years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Appalachian State University in Boone in 1981. Three years later, he received a master's degree in political science from ASU in 1984.

After working two years as a High Point police officer, Hurley worked as Winston-Salem police officer from 1981 to 1985. He joined the U.S. Marshals Service in Greensboro in 1985.

Hurley moved to the headquarters of the marshals service in Arlington, Va., in 1991. After working there for six years, he became a supervising deputy marshal, assistant chief deputy marshal and the chief deputy marshal in the Middle District of Florida.

In 2003, he returned to the marshals office in Greensboro where he served as chief deputy marshal for five years.

Richard Carlton, the chief deputy U.S. marshal in Greensboro, said that Hurley is well-suited for his job.

"He is a very dedicated and community-focused law-enforcement officer," Carlton said. "His focus is making communities much safer."

■ John Hinton can be reached at 727-7299 or at jhinton@wsjournal.com.