RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — It’s a neighborhood in Rapid City that has seen several violent crime cases over the last few years. Now, there’s a new police substation along Knollwood Drive to create a safer area.

The Community Outreach Program within the Rapid City police department is meant to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement.

“Essentially my job is just to build better relationships here in our North Side Community. There is a lot of tension there between our police department and our North Side relatives and we need a way to break through that and operate as a community,” Tyler Read, Community Engagement Specialist, said.

The Knollwood Drive area on the North side of Rapid City is a high call volume area for the police.

“It’s been that way for many many years, we are probably a little overdue for putting a substation up here. I know that we’ve gotten a lot of positive contact from the people who’ve stopped by and say, ‘Hey, we are really glad you guys are up here with this presence.’ You usually find one of our black and whites if not like two or three or four of them up here all the time,” Sgt. Ryan Phillips, Rapid City Police, said.

The Rapid City Police Department has a presence at two other locations in this area. This substation has been running for about a month now.

“But there’s a lot getting done in here and it is really focused on helping the community heal from some of the traumas that they’ve experienced over the last couple of years,” Read said.

By adding this extra police presence in the area, the department hopes the substation will help to build more relationships and see less crime.

People in the area who need police services should still call 911 or Dispatch in case of an emergency.