Highlights
You are lost at an altitude of almost 1500 meters in a fog bank on a mountain road. Your child will need medical care during the trip. You are confronted with someone who is very suspicious in a difficult environment. Who will come to your rescue?
Kaleb Cecil writes music about first responders in West Virginia. This article focuses on a song Kaleb wrote about the West Virginia State Police, and as someone who has traveled many remote roads in that state, it was always surprising to see a West Virginia State Trooper come out of nowhere (while I was sitting on my tailgate enjoying the view) and ask if I was okay.
First responders, especially in challenging terrain in West Virginia, deserve our respect and that’s why I wrote this article.
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Author
Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.
Former senior crime prevention and statistics specialist at the Ministry of Justice Clearinghouse. Former Director of Information Services, National Crime Prevention Council. Former adjunct associate professor of criminology and public affairs at the University of Maryland, University College. Former police officer. Retired federal senior spokesperson.
Former advisor to presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. Former advisor to the national media campaign “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime.” Successful media campaigns against crime produced by the state.
Thirty-five years leading award-winning (50+) public relations for state and national criminal justice agencies. Interviewed thousands of times by every national news outlet, often focusing on crime statistics and research. Created the first state and federal podcast series. Produced a unique and emulated style of proactive government public relations.
Certificate of Advanced Study – Johns Hopkins University.
Author of “Media Success: Everything You Need to Survive Reporters and Your Organization,” available from Amazon and other bookstores.
Crime within America.Net – “Trusted Crime Data, Made Clear.”
Quoted by The Associated Press (multiple times), USA Today, A&E Television, the nationally syndicated Armstrong Williams Television Show (30 times), ABC News, Inside Edition Television, Oxygen and related publications, Vox, Forbes, Newsweek, The Economist, The Toronto Sun, The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The Boston Herald, The Capital Gazette, MSN, AOL (multiple times), Yahoo, JAMA, News Break, US News And World Report, The Hill (Congressional newspaper), Department of Justice documents, multiple U.S. Supreme Court documents, C-SPAN, the National Institute of Health, online college and university libraries, multiple books and journal articles, The National Institute of Corrections, The Office of Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention, The Bureau of Justice Assistance, Gartner Consulting, The Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center, Law.Com, The Marshall Project, The Heritage Foundation via Congressional testimony, Law Enforcement Today, Law Officer.Com, Blue Magazine, Citizens Behind The Badge, Police 1, American Peace Officer, Corections.Com, Prison Legal News, , the Journal of Offender Monitoring, Yomiuri Shimbun (Asia’s largest newspaper), LeFigaro (France’s oldest newspaper), Homeland Security Digital Library, The ABA Journal, The Daily Express (UK) The Harvard Political Review, The Millennial Source, The Federalist Society, Lifewire, The Beccaria Portal On Crime (Europe), The European Journal of Criminology, American Focus and many other TV stations and publications.
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Article
If you’ve been where I’ve been, you’d understand. I was lost in a cloud bank in a wilderness area at almost 5,000 feet. I’ve traveled icy mountain roads. Who would come if I got into trouble?
From the age of five, I traveled the roads of West Virginia with my parents. In my 20s, I used my Jeep Wrangler(s) to explore the mountain roads of West Virginia and have been doing so ever since.
There are two amazing things about West Virginia: it’s incredibly beautiful, and there are people who enjoy living way off the beaten path on mountain roads. I always wondered if there was a fire, medical or police emergency, especially during the winter, who would respond? How would they react?
West Virginia is so close to major cities that some dirt roads in the wilderness are unfortunately clogged with out-of-state vehicles. But I’m not talking about tourist spots for this article; I’m talking about well-paved roads and dirt roads (some without guardrails) that are literally breathtaking. You travel miles up the mountain to reach a farm at the top. You travel down the mountain and find a sleepy village dedicated to world-class trout fishing.
West Virginia is all about friendly people and beautiful beauty. But again, how does the state protect its citizens (and endless visitors) under challenging conditions, especially during winter?
I have found that West Virginians value and respect law enforcement, which is evident in the work of the musician described below.
Caleb Cecil
A friend from West Virginia sent me a song about the West Virginia State Police. It was written and sung by Kaleb Cecil, and the links to his music are below. He is the person behind Cecil Odell Music. He writes about first responders and police sheriff services across the state.
He writes original country and country rock songs that have their roots in West Virginia: the roads, the cities, the people and the kind of work that doesn’t demand attention, but still deserves respect. Long shifts. Late nights. Family ties. Small communities where everyone knows the weight of responsibility.
His father is a retired sheriff from Lincoln County, WV.
One of his long-term projects is The Sound of the West Virginia Line – a county-by-county music documentary told through original songs written for sheriff’s departments and the communities they serve. Each issue is personalized to the province: the provincial capital, the roads, the landmarks and the people who live and work there.
These songs are not political, not promotional and not written at the request of any department. They are independent tributes intended to honor service, restraint and professionalism. He writes these songs. As with most modern recordings, the vocals were improved during production, but the words and stories are his.
He says this project is about documenting West Virginia with honesty and respect – county by county. He writes: “If you’re here because you’re from one of these communities, thank you for the support. If you’re just discovering the music, welcome. More countries to come.”
He is in the process of setting up a charity (link to follow) called The Voice of the West Virginia Line First Responders Relief Fund to donate at least 50 percent of all net proceeds from these releases to support law enforcement and first responders.
Links
Text – West Virginia State Police
State Police Line (Cecil Odell Music)
West Virginia State Police
Midnight on the ridge
Wet asphalt, blue light
West Virginia, wait a minute
Coffee is burning in the cup holder, rain on the dashboard
Transmission through the speaker, statically cutting through the axis
Interstate Seventy Nine northbound, fog on the hill
Interstate Seventy Seven Turnpike, I have a knot in the will
United States Nineteen claws the mountain
Interstate Sixty Four runs wide
County lines in the mirror
Stands proudly inside
We don’t roll for heads
We roll because someone is afraid
A calm voice in the chaos
When the whole world is unprepared
And the badge is not a costume
It’s a weight you learn to carry
You don’t go after problems
You step in
And leave it there
West Virginia State Police, hold this line
Blue lights cut through the coal dust night
From river bends to highland winds
From city signs to wood lines
We appear stable
When it doesn’t feel right
I’m not here for praise
I’m not here for shine
Just keep people alive
On the line of the state police
Fender in front of two cars in the fast lane, child in the backseat crying
One driver is shaking so much he can’t even stop denying it
A house on a cul-de-sac, the porch light flickering dimly
Hands up, voice low, talking peace in the heat
Missing teenager at the lookout point, boots in the mud
Searchlight sweeps the tree line, praying no blood comes
And you learn very quickly here
Courage is not loud
It breathes slowly, eyes open
While everyone goes wild
Yes, we are currently training
But it still hits your chest
Because the job isn’t “calls.”
They are people, at their worst
And their peace
West Virginia State Police, hold this line
Blue lights cut through the coal dust night
From river bends to highland winds
From city signs to wood lines
We appear stable
When it doesn’t feel right
I’m not here for praise
I’m not here for shine
Just keep people alive
On the line of the state police
And it’s not always sirens
Sometimes it’s silence
A hand on a shoulder
A “breathe, you are safe”
Compliance
A destroyed family on the roadside
And you’re still standing there
I try to be the dam
While the world wants to spill
You carry it home on your shoulders
You put it in your boots
But it follows the miles
And it follows the news
So you pray
And you tie your laces
And you go outside again
No politics, no speeches, no games
Just duty, and a last name
Radar buzz, dark road, cold wind
We’re back
West Virginia State Police, hold this line
Blue lights cut through the coal dust night
From the northern highway to the southern mine
We appear stable
When it doesn’t feel right
I’m not here for praise
I’m not here for shine
Just keep people alive
On the line of the state police
Midnight on the ridge
Wet asphalt, blue light
West Virginia, clearly
By Cecil Odell Music. Written, produced and sung by Kaleb Cecil.
