The Woodstock police are taking residents’ concerns about maintenance worker and Level 3 sex offender Michael Innello’s whereabouts seriously, but Supervisor Bill McKenna said he viewed the police chief’s actions as harassment.
On August 14, a parent complained that Innello was too close to a school and playground when he was trimming the grassy area at the foot of the bridge that takes Route 375 over the Millstream. She was concerned about Innello’s proximity to children, seemingly in violation of a restriction requiring him to stay at least 1000 feet from a school.
McKenna told the parent in an email that the town takes enforcement of Innello’s parole conditions very seriously and he is in compliance.
In contrast, Woodstock Police Chief Clayton Keefe thought the complaint was enough to warrant drafting a report and forwarding it to Innello’s parole officer and the district attorney’s office.
“My concerns are the same as the community’s. It’s definitely going to be hard for him to stay away from underage children,” Keefe said.
“I’m looking to avoid any incidents. I’m not saying it would be done intentionally, but it’s a concern,” he said.
Keefe said he is aware of the so-called 1000-foot rule and notes there’s a difference between driving past a school and getting too close.
“That’s a determination I’d like parole to make.” Keefe said.
The chief said he doesn’t know Innello, but has seen him working hard throughout town early in the morning.
If the town decides to keep him employed, measures must be taken to keep the community safe and Innello in compliance, Keefe said.
This isn’t the first time Keefe has weighed in on Innello’s proximity to children. He expressed doubts about being able to monitor him.
“At this time as the leading law enforcement member of the Town of Woodstock, I do not feel that the Town of Woodstock can monitor and supervise such employee with a Level 3, Sexually Violent Offender designation, due to the nature of his job duties and geography of the hamlet of Woodstock with its many parks and recreation areas and the constant potential for the individual to have contact with females and minors of our community,” Keefe wrote in a July 30 report to the Town Board.
“Therefore the Town of Woodstock would have to have the individual adhere to strict rules and constant supervision as to his location – not just his vehicle – to ensure safety of our citizens… possibly an ankle bracelet to monitor his movements.”
Woodstock police on July 18 received a referral from Child Protective Services about Innello being unsupervised around children at the Woodstock Youth Center and town summer camp.
A subsequent investigation determined Innello was with his immediate supervisor on June 27, preparing the pool for the camp. Recreation staff interviewed by police said Innello was close to female workers.
“The females, after learning of Michael’s sex offender status, have felt uncomfortable due to their exposure to him for at least an hour and not being made aware of his designation,” Keefe wrote in a July 30 report to the Town Board.
In the report, Keefe said Innello’s parole officer advised him to seek other employment but did not make a determination of a parole violation.
McKenna made the claim that forwarding the report to Innello’s parole officer was tantamount to harassment, and is also forwarding it to Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa.
“It is my understanding that NYS law prohibits anyone from using Michael’s information to harass him. Further, I was unaware the Woodstock Police Department had been tasked with monitoring Michael. Have you requested this,” he wrote.
Parole officer Veronica Ahumada said in an email reply to McKenna that she did not request Innello be monitored by the chief of police, and clarified that no ankle bracelet would be implemented since Innello has not committed a new crime. She stated in the email that Innello cannot reside within 1000 feet of a school, and that he is in compliance with parole supervision.
Innello, 32, was convicted on charges he sexually assaulted a 23-year-old while she was unconscious. He was also convicted of possessing pornographic performances of an 11-year-old. He served just over four years of a five-year prison term and is on parole through 2034.
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