Norwich — Preston resident Michael Clancy said he went to the Norwich police station Monday to drop off some expired prescription drugs and was shocked to find the main entrance door locked and a large sign posted directing him to call the dispatch center.

Clancy, a retired police officer from another department, sent an email complaint to Police Chief Patrick Daley calling it unacceptable that a police station door would be locked to the public, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I must say this was quite disturbing to me,” Clancy wrote to the chief. “My first observation: there is still a sign attached to the Norwich Police Department sign stating you can dispose of prescription drugs 24/7. My second observation and reaction: this is a poor way of promoting ‘Protect & Serve’ when there are elements in our society that want to ‘Defund Police.’ This is perfect ammunition for them to make their case.”

Clancy proposed a scenario of an assault victim coming to the station in the early morning hours without a cellphone and finding the door locked. When Daley wrote that such a scenario hasn’t happened, Clancy said he became angry and “baffled” at the dismissal.

“When Sandy Hook happened, there had never been a mass shooting there either,” Clancy said Monday. “But it happened, and it could happen there. There might be some other type of incident.”

Clancy said he did not want to complain about police, and said he was voicing objection to the Norwich police lobby being closed to help avoid possible complaints by others. 

In Daley’s written response to Clancy, he wrote that the lobby has been closed since the city ordered all municipal offices closed to the public except by appointment in mid-March. Daley wrote that the drug disposal service is still in place through the call-in method and said there has been no decline in prescription drug drop-offs since the doors were locked.

In telephone interviews Monday, Daley and City Manager John Salomone both said they have not received any other complaints about the police station lobby being locked. If someone came without a cellphone, police dispatchers would see the person through the video camera above the outside door and would come to the door, Daley said.

Daley said as he was speaking Monday afternoon, the lobby had about five people talking to police officers about various situations.

Salomone called the situation “transitional” in response to the COVID-19 emergency. City Hall offices are staffed but closed to the public, except by appointment, for now. Salomone said city officials are monitoring the state’s reopening plans and awaiting Gov. Ned Lamont’s move to a so-called phase three reopening.

“They have it locked, because of potential contamination,” Salomone said. “We’d have to be cleaning it every hour.”

During his daily news briefing Monday, Lamont offered no specific date for the phase three reopening, saying he expects to come to some decision about it in early August.

In southeastern Connecticut, several police stations have their main lobbies open to the public, with some restrictions. Stonington, Groton City, Groton Town and state police Troop E lobbies are open. Groton City, however, asks visitors to use an intercom to call for assistance, and an officer will come out.

New London police have a system like Norwich. Visitors enter a side door into a vestibule with a locked door. They then dial on a free payphone to call for assistance.

c.bessette@theday.com