COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Some Columbus community centers are going to be open later than usual this summer.

The announcement was made by Bernita Reese, Director of the Recreation and Parks Department, at a press conference about summer safety Thursday afternoon.

“We’re making sure that if nothing else we’re reaching out with extended hours during our summer months to provide some activities, somewhere for them to be that’s safe,” Reese said.

While community centers are open later during the school year, they typically close at 6p.m. over the summer. Linden, Westgate, Barack and Driving Park community centers will stay open until 8p.m. The hours will start June 12 and go through Aug. 4, according to the recreation and parks department.

“We want to make sure we’re at least giving parents an opportunity to get home from work, settle down some, provide an opportunity for children to come somewhere,” Reese said. “Then at eight all of them going into their own homes. We think that will help deter some of the violence off the streets as well as help provide opportunities of programming for a lot of our youth that have nowhere to go in those evening hours.”

While some community members had been okay with the current hours, some had been hoping hours would be extended.

“To cut out the time when school’s out and it’s summertime, and they have more freedom time it really is, I really don’t agree with it,” Rulanda Johnson said.

Johnson lives in Linden with her three kids. She wanted the Linden Community Center to stay open longer.

“It would mean a lot because it’ll give the kids a place to be instead of being out doing mischievous things, things they don’t need to be doing.”

Reese said they looked at numbers and needs to choose these four centers.

“Geographically, they’re very active centers with a lot of activities and so that’s what we’re looking for, how do we provide those activities in I would say neighborhoods that really need the resources,” she said.