IU alumnus reflects on rise from IUPD to U.S. Marshal

INDIANAPOLIS -- When Sean Malecha entered the IU Police Department cadet program in 1998, breaking down doors and serving warrants for the U.S. Marshals with a bulletproof vest and assault rifle strapped to his chest was only a dream.\nMalecha began training with IUPD in his sophomore year at IU and began providing unarmed security for campus events.\n"The IUPD police academy meets and exceeds the hours required," Malecha said. "I was able to ride with a full-time officer in the squad car and learn how to conduct traffic stops."\nMalecha also was part of the IUPD bike patrol before he graduated and moved on to work with the Hammond Police Department in Hammond, Ind.\n"I gained a lot of experience between the two," Malecha said. "The area in Hammond wasn't necessarily the best area, but I really learned a lot."\nNow, six years after he entered the IUPD force, Malecha has completed two years with the Southern District of Indiana U.S. Marshals.\nWhile he might be one of the youngest marshals in the department, his fellow marshals speak highly of him.\nSouthern District Chief Deputy Richard Burton, who graduated from the first IUPD cadet class in 1974, said Malecha's high energy makes him an integral part of their operation.\n"I enjoy having Sean here," Burton said. "He brings a lot of enthusiasm, and he has caused some others here to make sure their skills are just as sharp as Sean's are."\nArmed with an arsenal of weapons and technology, Malecha and the other marshals work to bring fugitives to justice and to protect judges and those in the witness protection agency.\nWhile he wakes up everyday not knowing what kinds of situations he will face, Malecha said the variety is one of the best parts of his job.\n"Every day is different -- there is no typical day," Malecha said. "We do warrant sweeps, kick in doors, court appearances ... travel providing security for judges, supply personnel for other districts and sit in on high threat trials."\nMalecha said being able to bring those who try to hide from the law to justice is one of the greatest satisfactions in his job.\n"There was a guy named Frederick Baer who was wanted for killing a mother and her daughter in LaPelle, Ind.," he said. "It was a brutal double homicide, and we were able to track him into Indianapolis and apprehend him without incident. It made me feel really good to know we took someone like that off the street."\nDeputy Marshal Christopher Barfield has been with the U.S. Marshals for six years and has spent three of those years in Indianapolis.\n"It's good to get new energy and fresh perspective into the office," Barfield said of Malecha.\nDespite the dangerous nature and the high level of stress the job entails, the Marshals have a sense of camaraderie and humor that echoes through their office.\nAt the end of the day, after doors have been kicked in, warrants have been served and fugitives have been brought to justice, each Marshal has made a difference.\n"You really do some high-profile things," Malecha said. "You go after some really dangerous people, but yet you're doing something that's central to our criminal justice system which is protect(ing) the judicial system."\nWhile the meaning behind the U.S. Marshals badge means something different to each individual, for Malecha, it's personal.\n"It means I've accomplished a major goal in my life by being part of an elite agency of law enforcement officers."\n-- Contact City & State editor Mallory Simon at mgsimon@indiana.edu.