A former Norwalk police captain has publicly bashed his old police department in a local paper.

John Cashin, who is now the chief of police in Tisbury, Massachusetts, said the men and women of the Norwalk Police Department deserve to be treated better. Cashin's story and comments were printed in the Thursday edition of The Hour.

Much of the article, titled "Weak discipline plagues police department," is attributed to Cashin, who spent 24 years with the department.

"If you could walk the halls invisibly, it would be very easy to hear the unrest, the apathy and the discord that resounds throughout that building," Cashin said in the article.

Norwalk Police Chief Harry Rilling said Cashin is out of line for his comments.

"Our police department is not without problems," Rilling said. "We've had our issues, but all in all we have a remarkable police department of fine dedicated men and women and for him to suggest that the department is replete with tremendous disciplinary problems is totally, totally inappropriate and unprofessional."

Rilling also said that Cashin never disagreed or complained about the conditions at the department while he was there.

Cashin told News 12 Connecticut that he is telling the truth and will accept the consequences for it.

For extended interviews with Rilling and Norwalk Mayor Dick Moccia, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.