Newton Police Open Substation In City Hall

NEWTON, MA — There's a new addition to the rotunda area in Newton's City Hall. And, if you're around Thursday afternoon or Tuesday evenings, you might notice a couple more police officers. That's part of an effort to bring police into the community in new ways, said Newton Police Chief David MacDonald.

MacDonald hopes that folks who might not feel comfortable walking into a police station will come by to discuss neighborhood issues, report crimes and ask for information.

"Maybe someone who is coming into city hall to pay a water bill has had a question they've been putting off," said MacDonald.

In his more than 27 years MacDonald said this is the first substation in town that he's aware of.

Two on-duty officers will be manning the substation, which is inside what used to be a conference room near the entrance. MacDonald every Thursday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and every Tuesday evening from 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).