POUGHKEEPSIE – Governor Hochul appears to be preparing to name a new sheriff for Dutchess County and it is not Acting Sheriff Kirk Imperati who has been running the county sheriff’s office since Sheriff Butch Anderson passed away in September of last year.
Deputy Adrienne Licari, the reported challenger, is being vetted by Hochul’s office, including a background investigation by the State Police, according to several Mid-Hudson News sources. In 2012 Licari had applied to be a state trooper but is said to have withdrawn her application when questioned about incidents that occurred in her past that came up during the investigation.
When reached on Saturday, Licari declined to talk about the appointment. Asked if she was being vetted for the position, Licari said “I can’t talk about it at this time.” When advised that Mid-Hudson News was preparing a story based on the information received, Licari pushed back, saying, “I really don’t think it’s a story,” and reiterated that she is not going to discuss it. Licari did not respond to questions about the results of the 2012 investigation.
Deputy Licari is the daughter of Robin Licari, the Chairperson of the Town of Wappinger Democratic Committee. Julie Shiroishi, the Chairperson of the Dutchess County Democratic Committee did not respond to a request seeking comment on the appointment of Licari.
Licari has been with the department for nine years. She has been a patrol deputy for eight years, primarily in the central part of the county, and recently moved into the training unit. She serves on the Emergency Services Unit and is the first woman in any Dutchess County law enforcement agency to serve in that unit.
Deputy Licari, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, also serves as the sheriff’s office liaison to the LGBTQ+ community, according to an agency Facebook post for Pride month in June.
Licari has told several coworkers of the potential appointment, according to deputies. At least three deputies have attempted to talk her out of accepting the position. Her fellow deputies have said that Licari is not poised to operate the department that has 450 employees between the sheriff’s office and the Dutchess County Jail. “Sheriff Imperati has done great things for this department in his career and we are all looking forward to continuing to work for him. Adrienne is a great deputy, doing great work, but she’s not ready to lead this department,” said one colleague aware of the appointment, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
County Executive Marc Molinaro, a staunch supporter of Imperati, said “There is no need for the Governor to take any action, but to appoint anyone other than Kirk Imperati would undermine public safety, destabilize law enforcement countywide and be a remarkably bad decision – all while dismissing Sheriff Butch Anderson’s legacy and Acting Sheriff Imperati’s service,” adding “I can’t think of a worse time to make a worse decision and hope this is not accurate. No one is more capable and trusted to continue leading our Sheriff’s Office than Kirk Imperati.”
