BATON ROUGE - The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office unveiled a new community center and substation in Donaldsonville Saturday morning. 

The Ascension Parish School System donated the property to the APSO to use for residents and officers.

The community center is filled with offices spaces for deputies and educational resources for community youth members. 

Some members of the community think the new recreational center will promote a healthier relationship between Ascension children and law enforcement. 

"If the kids would respect the policemen and the policemen respect the kids, then we wouldn't have a problem," resident Margeret Smith said. 

The substation is named after former Ascension Parish Sheriff Hickley M. Waguespak and used in mostly administrative manners. Substations are typically smaller branches of a police or fire department. 

Ascension Parish Mayor Leroy Sullivan believes the new buildings will be a great way to facilitate conversation between the community and the police.

"It gives our community the chance to be able to socialize with law enforcement, they are learning the community and the community is learning them," Sullivan said.