Officer Robert Hitson, who goes by the friendlier name Officer Bobby, brings years of experience and a strong sense of community to his new role as the school’s second safety officer. After 25 years as a Wayne police officer and various security roles, he’s excited to be a part of the West Essex community, working alongside Officer Frank Romayo.
“I like it, so far, a lot,” Hitson said of working at West Essex. “It’s a well-oiled machine. Both schools, the middle school, the high school—I’m just trying to fit in, learn everybody’s names, learn a routine. But, you know, they’ve got a good system here. The principals and vice principals do a great job.”
Before joining West Essex, Hitson worked in corporate security and at a preschool in Franklin Lakes, but he emphasizes that this new role feels familiar.
“It’s still very similar, because we kind of, we did roll similar to this as a police officer.” he said. “We were always at the school for a drop off and pick up in the morning, helping with buses, kind of the same thing I do now.”
One of his favorite aspects of the job so far is interacting with new people.
“Meeting the students, meeting the teachers, just getting to know the whole West Essex community.” Hitson said. “That’s probably my favorite thing so far—just trying to become part of the whole school community.”
Hitson brings with him a wealth of experience, though he prefers not to dwell on some of the more difficult memories from his time as a police officer.
“Most of the work I remember is the negative stuff,” he admits. “But there’s a lot of good stories, like saving people with CPR … But a lot of it is like the camaraderie with my friends.”
Growing up, Hitson was deeply inspired by law enforcement.
“I always wanted to be a police officer,” he says. “I used to drive down the shore with my parents and then see the state troopers on the parkway all the time. It was just something that always interested me, seeing what they were doing.”
Though his family is filled with teachers—his mother and sister both pursued careers in education—Hitson was certain from a young age that law enforcement was his calling. That said, teaching was always his second option.
“It was really either a police officer or gym teacher,” he reflects. “That’s what I wanted to do, one of those two.”
As well as ensuring safety, Hitson also makes sure that students feel supported, offering sage advice to them as they navigate their own futures: “Do as well as you can in school,” he said. “Know what you want to do. If you want to go to college, go to college. If you want to go to trade school, you go to trade school. There’s so many opportunities in this country. Do what you need to do to prosper as an adult.”
