MORRISTOWN: The Morristown Neighborhood House honored Keisha Higgs, a detective in the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, during the organization's annual Black History Month celebration Thursday night.

The honorees also included Morristown Neighborhood House Executive Director David Walker, former town council members Constance Montgomery and William Barber Jr. and community leader and mentor Lou Bullock.

Higgs has spent nearly a decade quietly earning the respect of her peers and people who cross paths with her, they said.

"She has a good heart and she's a very helpful person," said Perla Moran, community outreach coordinator for the Morristown Neighborhood House.

Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi and William Schievella, Chief of Investigations at the Prosecutor's Office, agreed. They nominated her for the award.

"Detective Higgs is a real class act. She is highly intelligent, friendly, tireless, has vision, is organized and is extremely capable. She is a tremendous asset to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and the citizens of Morris County," Bianchi said.

"She is an excellent tenacious detective with great interpersonal skills," Schievella said. "She is a great ambassador not only for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, but for law enforcement in general."

Higgs has a couple of firsts to her credit.

-First Morris County law enforcement officer to serve on the executive board of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. She serves as the treasurer.

-Supervisor of the first Community Affairs Unit in the history of the prosecutor's office.

-First officer to start a recruitment unit for the prosecutor's office, clearing the way for a diverse group of candidates.

Schievella noted, "Detective Higgs has been employed by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office for close to nine years, and has proven to be a dedicated, hard-working, sincere investigator who tirelessly promotes diversity in law enforcement as well as the tenants of the office - fairness, dignity and the pursuit of justice for victims of crime."

She served as a victim witness advocate before she was appointed as a detective and assigned to the General Investigation Unit in July 2004. Before moving on to the Community Affairs Unit, she was assigned to the Missing Persons/Juvenile Unit.

Assistant Prosecutor LaJuan Tucker has been friends with her for six years. "She is modest, loyal and giving. She always goes above and beyond and out of her way for people."

Higgs said law enforcement work is her calling. "I do this because I know I can make a difference. It's about reciprocity. People have helped me in the past so I have to give back, lift people up and help people along the way."

This story was filed Feb. 26, 2009. Media Agent Bill Swayze may be reached at 973-285-6200.