Led by Experience. Built on Discipline.

Eldridge T. Hawkins, Jr. is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Black Belt Security & Investigations, LLC (BBSI). He built this company on a foundation that no competitor can replicate — a career spanning decorated law enforcement service, elected municipal leadership, state government policy, advanced legal education, licensed private investigations, and 40+ years of martial arts mastery at the national level.

Mr. Hawkins served as a Police Officer for the Township of West Orange, NJ, earning a decorated retirement that included a Commendation, two Meritorious Service Recognitions, and a Distinguished Service Award from the Essex County PBA Conference. Upon retirement, he was formally inducted into the NJ Police Honor Legion — one of law enforcement's most prestigious honors. During his tenure with the City of Orange Township, he served as Acting Police & Fire Director, managing up to 300 employees delivering services to more than 33,000 residents. Under his leadership, the city achieved a 25% decrease in crime, and he directly negotiated union contracts with multiple bargaining units generating over $1 million in savings.

Mr. Hawkins served as the elected Mayor of Orange, NJ — overseeing public safety, municipal operations, and community development for a city of 33,000 residents with a $56 million operating budget. He subsequently held two senior appointments within the New Jersey Governor's Office: as Director of Community Outreach and Grantee Compliance Officer under the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, reporting directly to the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; and as Director of Policy, Operations & Governmental Affairs and Legislative Liaison under the Office of Volunteerism, reporting to both the Assistant Secretary of State and the Director of Volunteerism within the NJ Department of State. In both roles he served as a member of the NJ Attorney General's CLEAR Institute, developing bias awareness and cross-cultural competency training modules for law enforcement statewide.

As a senior official within the NJ Department of State's Governor's Office, Mr. Hawkins coordinated and liaised between volunteers, law enforcement, and the National Guard during hurricane relief and emergency response efforts — directing statewide volunteer emergency response activities, interagency coordination, and supply chain preparations between the NJ National Guard and partner agencies. This work placed him at the center of the state's most critical public safety operations.

BBSI was incorporated in 2010 and began licensed operations in December 2012, when Mr. Hawkins obtained his NJ Security Agency License. Prior to launching BBSI, he served as Chief Detective for a private detective agency conducting bail recovery and special investigations, and as an Armored Car Guard for Coin Depot Corp., transporting millions of dollars for banks, retailers, NJ Transit, and The Port Authority of NY & NJ. BBSI now serves a client base spanning McDonald's franchises, Marriott, public housing authorities, private residential communities, office environments, schools, and construction sites across the greater New York and New Jersey area.

Academically, Mr. Hawkins holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Rider University, an A.S. in Criminal Justice from Thomas Edison State College, an MBA from Seton Hall University, and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. His legal education gives BBSI a precise understanding of use-of-force law, liability exposure, and the regulatory environment governing every security engagement.

A martial arts hall of famer with over 40 years of training, Mr. Hawkins is the founder of the Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu system and holds Black Belts in Chinese Kenpo and United States Ju-Jitsu. He has been recognized as a national leader by the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation. The discipline, composure, and command presence that define a black belt are the same standards he demands of every BBSI officer in the field.

Mr. Hawkins has also been recognized by regulatory bodies as a security expert in the cannabis space. He has personally developed security plans compliant with NJ state and local regulatory requirements for cannabis applicants, and has provided sworn expert testimony on behalf of multiple applicants seeking licensure or site approval before municipal planning boards, zoning boards of adjustment, and other local regulatory bodies operating in conjunction with the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ CRC). This work places BBSI in a rare category: a security firm whose principal has not only consulted on what cannabis facilities require, but has stood before regulatory bodies and vouched for it under oath.