PEABODY — Peabody Police Officer Richard Heath is the recipient of the 2021 North Shore Community Action Programs’ (NSCAP) Frederick E. Berry Community Service Award.
Heath will be honored virtually on April 22 at NSCAP’s Spring into Action Heroes Gala event.
“It’s an incredible honor and I am humbled to be chosen,” said Heath. “I’ve never given any thought to anything except I’m just doing my job. I’m grateful to Chief (Thomas) Griffin for seeing my ability to be able to make this work and giving me the opportunity.”
Heath is one of three officers who serve in the department’s Community Police Unit as liaisons: Heath for the downtown area, Officer Rich Cameron for Elder Affairs and Officer Ralph Scopa for the Northshore Mall.
Heath, who operates out of the Peabody Institute Library’s Main Street branch, said his daily routine boils down to keeping himself visible in the area.
“I call it the walk-and-talk beat, or walking a beat or meet and greet, which is an ageless process of interpersonal interaction with the public,” Heath said. “There is no substitute for physical presence to help stay informed on what’s going on in the community.”
Griffin said Heath’s primary role is to work with the library and downtown businesses to address any problems they may be experiencing.
“He has a strong connection with the homeless population and does a great job — kind of take-the-bull-by-the-horns guy who loves walking up and down Main Street,” Griffin said. “He’s a great resource for everyone and we always are receiving strong feedback from the social services agencies, like Citizens Inn, the city’s Community and Development department and also, North Shore Community Action.”
“Officer Heath’s daily interactions with members of the community embodies the very essence of this award,” added NSCAP Executive Director Laura M. MacNeil. “He is known for being a resource for homeless individuals, one who treats a person with kindness, dignity, and is eager to offer help.
“Rick is able to maintain a balance between the various needs of the homeless and the need to maintain order in a busy downtown area (who) works tirelessly keeping one of Peabody’s most vulnerable populations safe. Officer Heath is a champion of low-income families and people struggling with homelessness.”
A 1980 Peabody High graduate, Heath said his role involves dealing with quality of life issues in finding solutions when the interests of business owners and homeless and vulnerable people living in crisis collide.
“It’s finding a way to co-exist,” Heath said. “The community knows what the homeless community deals with, but they still need to protect their businesses. The goal is to identify behaviors and patterns, like drugs and alcohol, to stop the activity or to find ways to redirect it. Unfortunately, sometimes, (the) criminal process is the only way to address and stop it, but the preference is always to find a middle ground.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed additional challenges, but Heath said that it is vitally important to make sure people are following all of the guidelines. He is working collaboratively with the city’s Health Department, Emergency Management Team and community church leaders to distribute face masks and provide information on safety protocols.
“It was complicated because the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) rules on encampments said they cannot be disrupted,” said Heath. “The best thing we could do was make sure the persons living there had the equipment and information they needed to be protected from the virus.”
Heath has also been recognized by the Peabody Clergy Ministerial Association for his work. A 30-year veteran of the police department, Heath volunteers at several Massachusetts Special Olympics events each year, and is one of the key organizers for the Peabody Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics each year.
The Frederick E. Berry award was established in recognition of Sen. Berry’s leadership and dedication to improving the lives of low-income families and individuals. Berry represented the communities of Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem, and Topsfield for 30 years.
