CLAYTON, La. – A&160;new Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office substation located on Louisiana 15 in Clayton opened its doors to the public late Saturday afternoon.

&uot;We’re here for the community,&uot;&160;said Officer Bobby Madison, a Clayton native who will manage the substation.

At the Clayton Substation, citizens will be able to file complaints and take care of other Sheriff’s Office business just as they would at the main office in Vidalia, said Sheriff Randy Maxwell.

&uot;That’s important here in Clayton, because some people don’t have phones or cars, and the office in Vidalia is 13 or 14 miles away,&uot; Madison said.

The office, a trailer that used to function as a schoolhouse, has a room where citizens can talk to deputies and deputies can fill out complaint paperwork.

The office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, although those hours could be expanded to weekends in the coming months, Maxwell said.

The presence of a substation in Clayton, along with regular patrols by deputies, should help deter crime in the area, Madison said.

&uot;This station will be an asset to the town marshal and the Police Department,&uot;&160;said Alderman Willie Evans. &uot;It will provide additional law enforcement … that will curtail crime and give residents more peace of mind.

&uot;And it’ll provide more recreational avenues for our young children. A lot of good things are in the making here.&uot;

But those will not be the substation’s only functions. The Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Town of Clayton and local volunteers, will also sponsor recreation programs Madison said are needed in the area.

Eighteen youth signed up for baseball teams at Saturday’s open house, and games will be held on town-owned land adjacent to the substation.

&uot;The Sheriff’s Office is here to protect and to serve, and these are some ways this substation will serve the community,&uot;&160;Madison said.

&uot;And programs like this go a long way toward keeping people out of jail, if we can reach them as kids.&uot;

The Sheriff’s Office also has substations in Ferriday and Monterey.