The son of parents who both work in law enforcement, he was brought up believing strongly in the value of public service. Little did he know that hard-wired value system would one day save a young human life. But more on that later. First, a little background. After graduating high school in his native southern California, Harkins went straight to work and spent the next five years in the loss prevention/security business. But all the while, he still held onto that goal of public service.