New McDonough police precinct now open

McDonough officials hosted a ribbon cutting July 10 to celebrate the opening of the city’s newest police precinct.

The facility is named for late McDonough Police officer Edward “Boots” Welch, and it is located on Simpson Street on land formerly owned by Welch’s family. Welch was one of the city’s first black officers and served for 35 years on the force.

The precinct’s main purpose is to increase the city’s police presence, but it also has space reserved for a community room where citizens can have meetings, and there are plans to partner in the near future with a medical clinic to provide care in other parts of the building.