During his 38-year career with the Bel Air Police Department, Richard “Chip” Carter worked to gain the trust of people he encountered while patrolling the streets of Bel Air, especially those who were living on the streets, experiencing homelessness or in the throes of drug addiction.

 “When I worked the road, I thought it was a good idea to know the people that were on the street all the time,” said Carter, who joined the BAPD in 1973 and retired as a sergeant in 2011.

“I became familiar with them and gained their trust in many cases,” he added. 

Earning the trust of the people he serves also is a key part of his current role as the coordinator of the Department’s LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program.

Carter will be honored for that work as the inaugural recipient of Harford County’s Heroes of Hope: Addiction Response Recognition Award. The award will be presented during the county’s annual Shine the Light Overdose Awareness Vigil, scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at Mt. Zion Church in Bel Air.

The award goes to first responders who “demonstrate exceptional dedication, compassion and innovation in addressing substance use and promoting recovery,” according to a news release from the county government.

“I just go out and do the best that I can,” he said when asked his thoughts on receiving the award, noting that there are many people involved in helping those referred to the LEAD program.

Police Department officials highlighted Carter’s calm, compassionate and empathic approach to policing, an approach he brought to the profession long before law enforcement agencies made practices such as de-escalation, or Crisis Intervention Teams composed of law enforcement officers and mental health providers, a standard part of their operations.

“Sgt. Carter’s story is not just about longevity, it’s about humanity,” Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore said in a statement. “He has devoted his life to helping others, whether in uniform or as a civilian.”

Carter also is part of the Town of Bel Air’s Committee for Seniors and Citizens in Need. Members of this Committee study the issues that Bel Air’s older adults and residents in need are facing and make recommendations to the Board of Town Commissioners about how the quality of life for these groups can be improved.

LEAD is a harm-reduction initiative

The Bel Air Police initiated the LEAD program in 2020. Officers have the option of referring a person accused of a low-level, nonviolent offense to service providers or treatment programs rather than arresting and charging the person with a crime. Often, the people directed to LEAD services are dealing with homelessness, financial stress, mental health issues or addiction.

Police officers also can refer people to the program through “social contact” if they respond to a drug overdose call or encounter someone experiencing homelessness, mental health or addiction crises.

“I locate people on the street and introduce them to the agencies that I think can do the most good,” Carter, who was hired for the position in 2021, said of his role as LEAD coordinator.

The Bel Air Police Department partners with multiple agencies to provide services through LEAD, including Springboard Community Services, the Klein Family Center, Harford Crisis Response, the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, the Harford County Health Department and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.

LEAD programs are used by police departments throughout Maryland and the United States. Bel Air initiated their program as an expansion of the Town’s DART (Drug Abatement Response Team) program. DART was formed in the 2010s to address a surge in opioid overdoses, many of which were fatal, happening in Bel Air and Harford County at the time. 

The overdoses that were happening in Bel Air, to which police officers often responded, were part of a nationwide opioid crisis.

As Bel Air’s LEAD coordinator, Carter works with people referred to him by patrol officers or community organizations, as well as people he encounters in the community.

“I just approach the people on the street and find out what it is they need,” he said.

Depending on the person’s needs, Carter will connect them with organizations such as the Harford Community Action Agency, or Bel Air United Methodist Church, two entities that provide an array of services to individuals or families struggling with access to food, housing, healthcare, paying utility bills and more.

Carter also provides items to people in need, as his office at the Police Department is filled with donated clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, shoes.

“If I’ve got it, they’ve got it,” he said of a person who needs a specific item.

Carter said he has had success with helping people get into treatment or a better living situation, but the work can be challenging.

He keeps at it, though, because the LEAD program helps lighten the workload for patrol officers.

“You don’t expect it to work the first time, that’s why you have to keep going back,” Carter said. “You stay on them and sometimes it’s successful, eventually.”

Chief Moore described Carter’s compassion for people experiencing addiction, homelessness or mental health issues as "unmatched.”

“Sgt. Carter is a quiet force for good, an unsung hero who has changed countless lives without ever seeking recognition,” the Chief stated.

Contact Media and Public Relations Specialist David Anderson at 410-838-7181 or danderson@belairmd.org.