Part 2: CUTV News spotlights retired private security officer Bobbi Hershberger

Scottsdale, AZ – If you’ve ever visited friend who live in a gated community, you very likely encountered a private security officer at the gate. We always wonder who those people in those little houses are and what they do all day and night to keep themselves occupied. But while the job can be dull and monotonous, at any moment you can be called into action.

“Working security is not just a job,” says Bobbi Hershberger. “It’s helping people who actually need you for peace of mind. I want to inspire people to become security officers. Not just for the money, but to do the job to the best of their ability.”

Bobbi spent 20 years as a private security officer in Arizona’s Biltmore Estates among other communities for Securitas and Trident Security. 

“These people are paying my company to pay me to protect them, to watch out for them, to keep people who are on the do-no-let-in list out and respond to emergencies,” says Bobbi. “Doing this kind of work, especially in a gated community, it’s all about customer service. It’s about having relationships with the people you keep safe.”

It’s actually not boring at all. You have to know down to the minute who is coming in, where they were going, their license plate, and what time they entered down to the second. But for the uneventful moments, each security officer finds their own way to make the job interesting.

Today, Bobbi holds a master’s degree in public safety leadership with a subspecialty in criminal justice. Eventually she says she would like to teach.

“From the time I can remember, I’ve protected people,” says Bobbi. “I’m proud that I did my job to the best of my ability and I was always there when someone needed me.”