Hammond Busted Mugshots

Hammond busted mugshots and arrest records are managed by the Lake County Sheriff's Department based in Crown Point. Hammond is one of the largest cities in northwest Indiana, with a population around 77,000. When someone gets arrested in Hammond, their booking goes through the Lake County jail system. You can search for these records online using the county's inmate search tool. The Hammond Police Department works closely with the sheriff's office, and all jail bookings end up in the same county database.

Hammond Arrests and Lake County

Hammond falls under Lake County for all jail and booking matters. The Lake County Sheriff's Department is headquartered at 2293 N. Main Street in Crown Point. Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. leads the department. All arrests made by the Hammond Police Department or any other agency in the county get processed through the Lake County jail. That is where the busted mugshot gets taken and stored.

Lake County is one of the most populated counties in Indiana. It covers the northwest corner of the state, right along the Illinois border. Hammond sits at the northern edge of the county. This means people arrested in Hammond could also have ties to cases in nearby Lake County cities. The sheriff's department handles bookings for the entire county.

Hammond Police Department

The Hammond Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in the city. For non-emergency calls, dial 219-853-6490. For emergencies, call 911. The department handles patrol, investigations, and traffic enforcement within Hammond city limits. When officers make an arrest, the suspect is transported to the Lake County jail for booking.

The Hammond Police Department page shown above is where you can find contact details and information about law enforcement services in the city.

Hammond is close to the state line, so some cases may involve coordination with Illinois agencies. But the booking and mugshot process stays within the Lake County system. If someone was arrested by Hammond police, their record goes into the Lake County database.

Search Hammond Busted Mugshots Online

The Lake County inmate search is the main tool for finding Hammond busted mugshots. This is a search-by-name tool. The sheriff's office changed the system to name-only searches due to scam concerns. They noted that "scammers pretending to be bondsmen or Sheriff's Office employees routinely reach out to families." By limiting the search to names, the department aims to cut down on that kind of fraud.

The Lake County inmate search shown above lets you look up inmates by name. This covers all bookings in the county, including those from Hammond.

You can also search for court records tied to Hammond arrests through MyCase Indiana. This free statewide tool lets you look up cases by name or case number. It covers criminal, civil, and traffic cases across all Indiana courts, including those in Lake County.

Public Records and Indiana Law

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3, gives the public the right to access arrest records and busted mugshots. The law says that all records not excepted from disclosure must be made available for inspection and copying. This applies to the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Hammond Police Department.

If you want records beyond what the online search shows, you can file a public records request. Under IC 5-14-3-4, some records may be kept confidential at the agency's discretion. But basic arrest information is generally considered public. Verbal or in-person requests must get a response within 24 hours. Written requests have a 7-day response window.

The Lake County Sheriff's website above is the central hub for jail, inmate, and law enforcement information covering Hammond and the rest of the county.

The Indiana State Police Criminal History Services offers Limited Criminal History searches for $15. These cover felonies and Class A misdemeanors in Indiana. For state prison inmates, the IDOC offender locator is a separate tool. Victims can sign up for alerts through VINE by calling 866-959-VINE.

Note: The Lake County inmate search only covers people currently in custody or recently booked, so older records may require a formal request.

Nearby Cities in Indiana

Hammond is part of the northwest Indiana metro area. Several other cities in Lake County and the surrounding area also have pages on this site. If the person you are looking for may have been arrested in a nearby city, check these pages for busted mugshots information.