Chief Chris Hughes makes final walkout upon retirement from Village Police Department

On Tuesday, March 25, Northport Village Chief of Police Chris Hughes, a U.S. Air Force veteran, former Northport Fire Chief, and member of the Northport Police Department for 25 years, completed his final walkout of Village Hall and entered retirement. Hughes, who was born and raised in Northport, was sworn in as chief in 2019. Alan Bakker, who has been serving as the department’s lieutenant, will take his place. 

Hughes was the eighth officer to hold the title of Chief of Police in Northport; the first police chief was appointed in 1929. At his last Board of Trustees meeting on March 18, Hughes received words of gratitude and encouragement from Northport Village Mayor Donna Koch and Trustee Meghan Dolan. “I’d like to take a moment to thank him for his unwavering support and commitment to the Village,” Koch said. She said that Hughes has received 19 excellent police service awards, four of which were “life saving.” Koch said that she could talk for two hours about Hughes’ accomplishments, “and then I’ll start crying,” she added. 

Trustee Dolan, who also serves as Commissioner of Police, praised Hughes for the respect he has always shown others while serving as chief. “After working with him before I was on the board and after, everybody can see that you’re competent and well-respected. You go into your office, everybody knows that you’re very organized,” Dolan said. “But I think what really stands out to me – that I’ve seen you do since I’ve known you – is when you come in, anybody you’re talking to in a meeting here, you really meet with respect and empathy, and that is extremely admirable and the village owes you a great debt of gratitude for that and all your service. It has been a pleasure working with you and I will miss you a lot.” 

Hughes also spoke at the board meeting, thanking Koch, Dolan and the board for their support over the years. “It’s been my honor and privilege to serve the village that I was born and raised in for the last 25 years, and it’s been a joy to work with all of you,” he said. “While I never had any personal goals as a member of this department, the one thing I say I worked tirelessly to do as chief was to hire the best possible people to replace those that went before me. I can proudly say that I believe we have done just that. I truly believe that I’m leaving you with the very best of the best within the ranks of the Northport Police Department. I wish Chief Bakker and all the residents of the Village of Northport nothing but the best and I thank you all for all you’ve done for me and my family.”

During his ceremonial walkout on Tuesday, Hughes exited Northport Village Hall and walked through a row of current Village police officers, all saluting him, until he reached Chief Bakker at the end and shook his hand. Bagpipes played during his walkout and hundreds of residents, colleagues, family members, friends and members of the Suffolk County Police Department cheered. Hughes then kissed his wife, Mollie, and family members standing close by while a Suffolk County Police helicopter made a flyover for the chief’s departure. 

After the walkout, Hughes was presented with a proclamation for his dedication of honorable service and commitment to Northport Village by Mayor Koch. The proclamation called him a mentor and role model who served with integrity, professionalism and compassion, traits that earned him respect from his colleagues, residents and local leaders. Under his leadership, it reads, the police department has advanced community policing, crime prevention and public safety initiatives, building trust and collaboration between law enforcement and the citizens they serve. 

Detective Stephen Kerekes then presented a plaque to Hughes on behalf of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) for his 25 years of service. 

Hughes ended the ceremony with a statement, expressing his gratitude for everyone present and reiterating the love he holds for the Northport Village police department. The celebration continued at the Northport Hotel Restaurant, with family, friends and colleagues gathering to honor Hughes one last time.