NORWICH – Following more than a dozen news tips submitted by community members, The Evening Sun looked into reports of an altercation at the Norwich Family YMCA and an off duty officer of the Norwich Police Department.

Few were willing to comment on the matter.

When contacted, Police Chief Rodney Marsh said, “Unfortunately, I cannot comment on personnel matters within the department. Again, I must quote N.Y. CVR Law 50-a: NY Code – Section 50-A: Personnel Records of Police Officers.”

That law specifically reads: All personnel records used to evaluate performance toward continued employment or promotion, under the control of any police agency or department of the state or any political subdivision thereof including authorities or agencies maintaining police forces of individuals defined as police officers in section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law and such personnel records under the control of a sheriff’s department or a department of correction of individuals employed as correction officers and such personnel records under the control of a paid fire department or force of individuals employed as firefighters or firefighter/paramedics and such personnel records under the control of the department of corrections and community supervision for individuals defined as peace officers pursuant to subdivisions twenty-three and twenty-three-a of section 2.10 of the criminal procedure law shall be considered confidential and not subject to inspection or review without the express written consent of such police officer.