WELCH McDowell County has seen some changes at the West Virginia State Police Welch Detachment.

In the wake of the transfer of former detachment Commander Sgt. Chris Kane to the West Virginia Turnpike, Sgt. R.A. Daniel is now the commander, and Sgt. R.T. Stinson, who was recently transferred to Welch, is the assistant commander.

Daniel, a Raleigh County native, spent 13 years at the Beckley Detachment before his transfer to McDowell County a year and a half ago.

I live in Beckley, but I have ties to McDowell County, he said.

Daniel said he did not attend the State Police Academy when he was a young man, as most troopers do.

When I got out of high school I ended up working for about nine years in the coal mines, he said, then after that worked in corrections at the state penitentiary in Moundsville.

That corrections job prompted his interest in law enforcement.

At age 35, I started over as a trooper, he said, adding that he was able to keep up with young guys in the physical training part of the academy. I always kept in good shape,

But he wasnt even the oldest one at the academy.

Another student was 42, he said. But he had been a trooper in Utah.

Daniel, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall, said many people may not realize that troopers have to stay in good physical condition.

We have a physical fitness test each year, he said, explaining that troopers have a practical and realistic reason to stay in shape as well they have to be prepared for anything on their jobs.

A trooper often works alone and he has to be able to protect himself. For the most part, it (being in good shape) is imperative, especially when you dont have partners.

Daniel said that some people also think troopers have an attitude.

But its just he way we carry ourselves to survive, he said. If its you and four people, its you and four people.

The job can be dangerous, and they often deal with people who are unpredictable.

If they are doing something wrong, a normal person under normal conditions will usually stop, he said. But if they continue bad behavior and activity (after being told to stop) they are already blowing off warnings.

Thats especially true of crimes related to drug use, he added.

When you have someone who is an addict, they ordinarily may not commit a crime or resist arrest, he said. But the chemical imbalance and addiction changes their behavior.

That being said, Danieldoes not excuse their crimes, adding that a lot of judges may not view some drug-related crimes as violent, but they are.

Breaking into your house is a violent crime, he said, adding that it is not a victimless crime. We pay for it as the public every day.

McDowell County does present some challenges, he said, including the logistics of getting from one place to another.

It may take you 45 minutes to get to some areas, he said. Then another call could come in on the opposite end of the county.

Because of the terrain, radio systems can fail and create problems as well, he added.

The detachment also has little backup now because the county is down on the number of deputies from the Sheriffs Office, he said.

If they are available to assist us, thats great, he said. But we take the calls. Regardless, we have to handle calls as they come in anyway. Weve always provided 24-hour service here at the Welch Detachment.

Daniel said there is also a popular myth that all troopers do is write tickets and take people to jail.

We have plenty of paperwork to do, he said.Its difficult dealing with difficult people, but keeping up with the paperwork has its challenges as well.

Not only do troopers have to be ready at all times to deal with criminals, domestic situations, paperwork and any other calls that come in, they often work on their own time without pay.

We will get the job done regardless, he said.

Daniel said he has to drive quite a distance every day to get to work, but he doesnt mind.

I am very well satisfied with working down here, he said.

For Stinson, coming to McDowell County was a stark change of pace.

Ive worked on the West Virginia Turnpike for 17 years in South Charleston, he said, adding he has been in the county for two weeks.

Its definitely a different environment from what I am used to, he said. The economic situation here is different. It (what he may face on the job) could be anything, not just traffic.

The Mercer County native said he had wanted to go into law enforcement since he was a kid.

We (his brother and sister) would ride our bikes and play cops and robbers, he said. I was the cop and I would always catch them.

Stinson said he is the first in his generation from the family to become a police officer.

Its just something I always wanted to do. I wanted to help people.

So after high school, he enrolled at Bluefield State College and earned a degree in criminal justice, then on to the State Police Academy.

Stinson said he is looking forward to being in the county and working with his fellow troopers and the community.

Besides Daniel and Stinson, the detachment has nine troopers to cover a large county 24 hours a day.

Stinson said that presents some challenges, but the job will get done.

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

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Welch State Police Detachment welcomes new commanders - Bluefield Daily Telegraph