Feb. 24—Making state government more oriented toward the people is the goal that Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said is imperative for the Commonwealth.

With that being said, he proved his word by establishing an Attorney General's office in London — the third such facility across the state.

"Until quite recently the work of the Attorney General's office has been concentrated primarily in Frankfort, far away from many Kentuckians and far away from the problems that need to be solved," Cameron said. "While video conferences, emails and phone calls allowed us to serve many Kentuckians, these actions are a poor substitute for face to face connections."

Cameron said his office was committed to establishing offices in different regions of the state in order to be more accessible to the people. The London office is the third such branch — the other two being in the Covington area and in Bowling Green. There are also field offices in Louisville and Prestonsburg.

Located in the State Office Building on State Police Road, the more people-oriented department offers several different branches — some with familiar faces in the area.

Cameron touted his familiarity of the area by his prior work with U.S. District Judge VanTotenhave, specifically mentioning Laurel Lake, Daniel Boone National Forest and the World Chicken Festival as attractions for the area. He said the new London office would "be competing

The State Office Building where the new offices are located has quite a history — some of which Cameron cited.

"Some of you know, Governor Simeon Lewis placed a cornerstone here in 1946. After being damaged by fire during construction, it opened in 1951 as a district wide tuberculosis sanitorium, and as the grounds expanded through the dedicated staff, it served hundreds of sick patients," he said. "Today it is the center of London and we are proud to call it home."

The new office will offer better access to the Attorney General's Office by providing assistance with those concerned with rising utility prices, filing a complaint as well as assisting local law enforcement.

The different phases of the London office will offer Consumer Protection and Criminal Investigations and will work with the London Police, Laurel Sheriff's Office and Appalachian HIDTA.

Commonwealth's Attorney Jackie Steele welcomed Cameron and his staff to the London office.

"This isn't just for Laurel County. I see county attorneys from different counties here and it will serve southeast Kentucky," Steele said. "When I tell people to call Frankfort, they say they can't get through to anyone. But when I hand them a number with a 606 area code, they feel they can be served."

The 2022 General Assembly approved funding for additional offices of the Attorney General.

"The General Assembly is committed to partnering with Attorney General Cameron to address local public safety challenges and opening this office in Laurel County is one more step toward that goal," said Senator Brandon Storm. "This new office will provide London, Laurel County, and Southeastern Kentucky with a far greater capability for the Attorney General's office, and we were happy to support it in the last budget cycle."

"We are proud to welcome Attorney General Cameron and his staff to Laurel County and are thankful for their efforts to provide direct access to services," said Representative Shane Baker. "Having a field office, right here in our community will have benefit London and the surrounding area."