Douglasville Names Street for Former Sheriff Earl Lee on Friday

The street leading into the new Douglas County Jail will officially become Earl D. Lee Boulevard in a dedication ceremony on Friday, Oct. 12, at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the intersection of S. Cherokee Blvd. and Fairburn Road.

Lee served as Douglas County Sheriff from 1973 to the end of 1992.

"He brought modern law to Douglas County," current Douglas County Sheriff Phil Miller said. "He started the first records division at the Sheriff's Office, the first SWAT team, the first patrol division, the detective division. He categorized and defined people's positions within the Sheriff's Office.

"He worked on so many major cases and was instrumental in solving a lot of cases," Miller said. "He did so many good things for the County. He was a law man's law man. I heard many FBI agents, many GBI agents and many law enforcement agents say, 'If anything ever happens to me, I want Earl Lee to investigate it.'"

Miller has been with the Sheriff's Department for 36 years and served under Lee for 16 years, working his way up from city detective to chief deputy during that time.

"He had a special knack for interviewing people," Miller continued. "He was able to gain their confidence. A lot of criminals would talk to Earl Lee when they wouldn't talk to anyone else.

"A lot of the things he implemented are still there today. A lot of people he trained are still there today too, including myself," Miller concluded.

The City of Douglasville recommends the best places to park are the former Captain D’s location or the Kenny’s Home Cooking parking lot. 

Here is the agenda for the dedication ceremony:

Welcome
Mayor Harvey Persons

Remarks
Chairman Tom Worthan

Remarks
District Attorney David McDade

Remarks
Judge Beau McLain

Remarks
Sheriff Phil Miller

Remarks
Susan Lee Reid & Lynne Lee Parrish

Commemorative Unveiling