There were quite a few elected officials on hand Tuesday in University Village to trumpet the opening of the State’s Attorney’s new community justice center.

They boasted that the new facility would help boost the connection between officials and the public, helping fight crime by making people feel more comfortable with those who are fighting for them in court.

It’s a bold claim. But it makes sense.

While we’re not sure how many people are simply walking in off the streets and asking the State’s Attorney to prosecute someone for them, it’s an excellent tool to get resources to where they’re really needed.

No one really wants to go to 26th and California, ever. It’s unquestionably one of the most unpleasant places to be, whether you’re in jail or in court. Why would anyone want to go there of their own free will?

Putting these offices in communities makes it easier — if perhaps not pleasant — for citizens to air their grievances.

We’ve heard that other community justice centers have been a success. Our sister paper, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park, covered the opening of one of their outposts on the West Side. They quickly went to work with Oak Park police when someone was murdered in a garage soon after the office opened, and were part of the community conversation in the weeks that followed.

While no one’s been arrested, much less prosecuted, in that case, having a local outpost with a dedicated attorney has helped provide some stability.

In a more successful story, State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez bragged that their center on the South Side helped bring several criminals to justice in the wake of Derrion Albert’s murder.

We can only hope no crimes so heinous occur in Chicago Journal’s coverage area. But if anything does happen, we can sleep a little bit sounder knowing that someone local is on the case.