NORWICH – While out on a mountain bike excursion Tuesday afternoon on the Greenway Trails in Norwich, two Norwich High School tenth graders stumbled upon a region littered with garbage and drug paraphernalia, being referred to by some as 'tent city.'

Norwich Police Department Detective Reuben Roach said while NPD became aware of the area off the Greenway trails and behind the Borden Town Circle in Fall 2017, it's just outside of the city limits.

"We did contact the [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation], the reason we contacted DEC is because of its proximity to a waterway. It becomes their jurisdiction in that sense," said Roach.

NPD Officer Alicia Woodard said, "Somehow it got back to us that it's called 'tent city.' And we have notified the DEC because it's technically outside the city's jurisdiction. And now we're just waiting for the DEC to come in. We have done everything in our power for it, like we called the DEC, notified them about it. It's all on the DEC because it's environmental I guess."

Roach said it is unknown what the DEC's resolution or outcome to the situation was. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation did not immediately respond to inquiry before press time.

Roach said it is unknown how many individuals were actively staying at the location. He said although there was paraphernalia found, no arrests had been made there.