SCCC Security Officer Serves and Protects with a Model of Kindness
Dee Cannizzaro
Photo by Dee Cannizzaro
Mahindra Seobarrat, a security officer at Sussex County Community College in Newton since July 2025, takes his job seriously while greeting everyone with a friendly smile and wave at the security post.
His many duties on the campus include security and public safety, responding to car accidents and medical emergencies, writing reports for missing items or personal belongings, responding to fire alarms, issuing student and faculty ID’s and parking stickers, and parking enforcement.
From the time officer Seobarrat was a very young child, he wanted to wear a uniform. He grew up in New York City’s Spanish Harlem projects and had great interactions with the housing cops there. “I was inspired by them to pursue a law enforcement career,” he said.
His mother was a US citizen, but his father was an immigrant who eventually received his citizenship here. His father was very proud of his son stating “I would not have anything if this country didn’t give me the opportunity, and here you are, serving this great country.”
Seobarrat is no stranger to serving and protecting, having begun his career by joining the Marine Corps at 17. As a U.S. Marine, he served in both Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. He was also a human intelligence collector for the Army National Guard.
His state and federal law enforcement career spanned more than 20 years. Duties included working at various land borders in customs and border protection, at JFK Airport as an inspector, in New York State as a court officer, and in Manhattan Criminal Supreme Court as a senior court officer.
He was also sent to The World Trade Center on 9/11. Immediately after he and his fellow Manhattan Criminal Supreme Court officers saw the first plane hit the north tower, they were instructed by their Major to “grab their first aid bags and get on the jury bus to the World Trade Center.” Two of the court officers lost their lives that day.
Seobarrat was one of the first responder officers awarded the Medal Of Valor by New York State for his 9/11 service. He and a fellow officer were also invited to the Congress in Washington, D.C. by Hillary Clinton to personally thank them for their valor and service on 9/11, and were officially documented in the Congressional Record.
One of the awards dearest to him was the World Trade Center Ribbon given by the NYPD for saving one of their officers at the 9/11 scene. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly presented it to Seobarrat and another officer.
Seobarrat also joined Homeland Security with the Federal Protective Service, where he was a K-9 Handler with the Hazardous Response Team. As a giving gesture, in his spare time, one of Seobarrat’s passions is evaluating dogs to see if they’re suitable to become service dogs for veterans dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD or traumatic brain injuries.
He also loves evaluating shelter dogs free of charge for different police departments in New York State to see if they’re suitable for police work or to be placed in various agencies. As a member of the VFW and American Legion, he puts flags on veteran’s graves and also cleans and maintains the gravesites and headstones of veterans with no families.
In 2024, he became a non-denominational pastor. His impetus to do so was dealing with his own PTSD from 9/11 and other personal life struggles. He wanted to reach out to others experiencing problems. He does outreach through the VFW and The American Legion. He speaks to people as a pastor without judgement, just a humanitarian.
“Sometimes people’s hearts are heavy, and it’s easy for them to talk with me and not be judged,” he said. “God saved me to help others.”
He brings joy to people he interacts with in his personal life and at the security booth at SCCC
because, as he said, “I’ve learned that life is beautiful and can be taken at any time. This sums up my philosophy on life.”
When he’s not working, Seobarrat enjoys Japanese gardening at his home in Stanhope, especially creating a feng shui environment of peace and harmony through plants, flowers and pollinating bees. As he stated, “It’s a complete cycle of life.”
Seobarrat mentioned that “the students and staff at SCCC generally have a warm, calm and respectful demeanor with authority, which is a refreshing change.”
As a fitting reflection of a life dedicated to service, and the kindness he continues to share with everyone who passes his post, Seobarrat shares some words of wisdom with students:
“When you give up on yourself, you give up on the world, so never quit!”.
