In early 1985, Douglas County was approached by the State of Georgia and offered a Grant (of monies) partially funded by the Federal Government. The State said that Douglas County statistics had shown a high propensity for fatal car accidents. More than the average for our population. The State said that they had received a Federal Grant for counties and cities to better enforce traffic violations.

When it was announced that Douglas County would be one of the counties chosen to participate, Sgt. Cain was chosen to lead the new “Traffic Enforcement Task Force.” The D.U.I. Grant was approved in 1988. Cain was the most senior patrol supervisor in the patrol division. He preferred working as a night shift unit. Three deputies were also allotted on the Grant’s dime. We deputies who applied for the traffic unit were anxiously waiting for the names to be posted to the board. When it was, I was the first name. After all, I was the most senior of those chosen who applied. I had been appointed “senior man” for two shift sergeants prior to my resume being submitted. My employee “file folder” was slightly blemished thanks to the “written reprimand” from one of my earlier stories.

I also had many ride-a-longs with Sgt. Cain from my radio and jail years. We had developed a rapport to where we were comfortable talking with each other. Sgt. Cain was also known for his legendary bouts of anger. Once he went on for about three weeks just saying “fine, and you.”  If you said hey boss, what zone go you want me in tonight? “Fine and you?.” Or an innocent little,  “It’s cold out there tonight” or “good afternoon” would get his “fine and you?” Stuff like that. We only had 2 zones in 1985. Zone 2 included everything east of Chapel Hill Road. And Zone 1 for everything west of the Carroll County line. Once through Carroll, the next stop was the Alabama State line. I felt that I was a sinch to be one of the three chosen to defend this territory.

When the list was finally posted, the first name shown was Deputy Eddie Englett, Cha! Second deputy – William F. (Bill)  Jones. Third and last name – James Bilbo. We then set to our tasks of ordering our equipment and cars.

After four years on Patrol and driving makes like the Plymouth Fury, Dodge Diplomat, Ford Granada, and others that were the worst DAM police cars I’ve ever had the displeasure to drive, we were to have new, improved options. In the middle 1970s and early 1980s, the K-cars were equipped with “governors.”  The engine governor had a pre-selected setting that controlled your engine’s output. Less fuel = less speed. Other deputies said they kind of liked the K-cars. Not me.

The FEDS & State were footing the bill, so, “let’s go for it.” At that time, the big Ford LTD Crown Victoria was the best choice. We then went L.E.O. crazy on our vehicles. We ordered every bell and whistle in Ford’s inventory. We got the fastest police package offered for that year. Not the Ford LTD, but the LTD Crown Victoria. The 4-barrel was back, baby. The Grant included all the police accessories such as alco-sensor, car radios, dash mounted strobe lights, shotguns, cages, etcetera. I believe we were the first cars in the Patrol to get strobe lights. No more spinning blue lights bulbs. No more Walmart knockoffs. The Grant also paid for our uniforms and salaries for three years.

It took a little pleading with Earl to be allowed to have the black colored cruisers. Oh, and the Sheriff particularly did not like the slick tops. But he eventually gave in. On our cruisers, we ordered Ford’s police package. It came with things like durable interceptor engines, transmissions, suspensions. The normal family-owned Crown Vic’s would just have the basic standard packages. Anti-lock braking was not invented back then. I had a few wrecks when my brakes locked. After years of driving a Ford then a Chevy then a Pontiac, and others, it took a while to get used to all the different idiosyncrasies in the patrol fleet. Ford had superior steering, and the Chevrolet’s were less likely to lock brakes. All models were different in driving. On patrol shifts, you shared your numbered patrol car with the other shift’s deputies. In lean times, any one particular cruiser would not be turned off for 40 hours at a time. We shared the patrol cars grudgingly. Seniority would count when new patrol cars were added to the fleet.

Sgt. Cain would always take his new patrol cars to “a friend.” He probably voided all warranties on his new cars by equipping them with add-on parts. It did make his cruiser a little faster, though. Cain always wanted the fastest patrol car in the department. However, the Sheriff’s “Bionic Pontiac” was never beaten.

In our unit’s first meeting, Sergeant Cain began by saying, “After much thought, everyone, please congratulate Deputy Bilbo as our seniorman.” What! He doesn’t even have anywhere near the experience that I have. He hasn’t even been a seniorman on any of his shifts!

One night when my unit was in the shop, I rode shotgun with Sgt. Cain. Just as I had done many times before. He was in a good mood that night. I thought to myself, “here’s my shot,” so I just blurted straight out, “Why did you make Bilbo your seniorman?” “You said that I was the most experienced that applied.” Sergeant Cain said, “Well, his mother/grandmother has just died.” I replied, “Yeah, I know.”  He resumed, “so I thought it might lift his spirits if I named him seniorman.” Wha…? Bilbo wouldn’t last much longer with the Sheriff’s Office anyway, and would eventually go down in infamy with our department.