The City of Hammond will kick off the new year with a new Police leadership as the city’s first Black Police Chief retires.

The city announced Wednesday that Chief William “Andy” Short will retire in April after 38 years with the department, with the last four years as Chief. His assistant chief and former partner, Jeff Long, will take over the top spot for Short ON January 1, while Short will assume the role of “Chief Emeritus” until his departure, according to the release.

The department’s Captain for the Criminal Investigations Division, Ezequiel Hinojosa, is also retiring after nearly 50 years with Hammond, the release said. Police Lt. Christopher Gootee will take his place.

Short joined HPD on September 26, 1988, upon graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, according to the release. He served as 2nd class Patrolman, 1st Class Patrolman, Corporal, Sergeant, and Lieutenant before becoming Hammond’s first Black Assistant Chief in 2016. He was a K-9 Handler, Bike Patrol member, and SWAT Officer; in the Special Deployment Division, he worked in the Gang/Narcotics Unit, served on the Lake County HIDTA Task Force and also spent five years in Internal Affairs before being appointed Assistant Chief.

“Chief Short leaves behind a legacy of leadership, service, and positive impact,” the release said. “As he shifts his focus toward family and his beloved grandchildren, the City of Hammond extends its gratitude for Andy’s decades of dedication.”

Long, a U.S Army Veteran who completed nine years as assistant chief, also started with Hammond after graduating from the academy a little more than a year after Short, according to the release. He’s served as Patrol Sergeant, Shift Lieutenant, Field Training Officer, K-9 Handler and a SWAT Officer as well as completing a five-year tenure with Internal Affairs.

Hinojosa, who began his career with the department on November 4, 1978, after graduating from the academy, spent his first 10 years in Patrol, including two years as an Evidence Technician, before transitioning into what would become a 38-year career within CID. He’s worked in nearly every investigative area, including Auto Detail, Sex Crimes, Burglary, Violent Crimes, Arson, and Homicide, the release said.

Gootee joined Hammond in 2005, and has served in the Uniform Patrol Division, Evidence Technician role, Gang Suppression Unit, Special Deployment Unit, and the FBI’s Gang Response Investigative Team (GRIT) Task Force. He has risen through the ranks: Corporal (2013), Sergeant (2015), and Lieutenant (2023); and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command.

“Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. and the City of Hammond commend Chief Short, Captain Hinojosa, Assistant Chief Long, and Captain Gootee for their decades of service, leadership, and commitment to the safety and well-being of the Hammond community,” the release said. “These changes represent both the end of remarkable careers and the beginning of new opportunities for continued excellence within the department.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/28/hammond-will-get-new-police-chief-in-2026/