Lake County Gazette

The Shields Township Republicans are voicing concerns over the vulnerability of Lake County communities to crimes due to Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart's leniency on criminal matters.

The GOP group compared Rinehart to Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, and urging his defeat in the upcoming 2024 election.

“We appreciate the diligence of our local police departments but as long as Democrat Eric Rinehart is the Lake County State’s Attorney, our communities will be more vulnerable to these kinds of crimes because the criminals know that like Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Eric Rinehart is soft on crime. We must defeat him in the 2024 election!” Shields Township Republicans said on Facebook.

Shields Township Republicans linked to a video of thieves working the Ridgewood subdivision.

The video shows two men dressed in black sprinting through the neighborhood as one approaches an SUV parked in a driveway.

The video is taken in broad daylight from a doorbell camera.

“A homeowner in the Ridgewood subdivision shared an excellent doorbell video with us today. It shows three young men attempting to break into cars early this morning. Watch how efficiently they work down the street, checking both sides for any unlocked cars with key fobs left in them. Behind them, a trailing vehicle follows, ready to scoop the offenders up and flee if a homeowner or police intervene. The Honda Pilot shown is believed to have been stolen from another Lake County community overnight. Please call 911 if you see this behavior pattern, and lock up your cars every night. Thank you to this homeowner for sharing (and locking their car!),” the Lake Forest Police Department said on Facebook.

Conservative activists are rallying against Rinehart with plans to challenge his reelection bid in the upcoming 2024 election.

Critics, including the Vernon Township Republican Organization and Gurnee resident Melanie Finch, accuse Rinehart of prioritizing his far-left policies over public safety and emphasize the importance of voting him out of office.

The Lake County Republicans have also urged voters to reject Rinehart's reelection bid, claiming his pro-crime agenda is out of touch with the community's values.

Lake County Republican Party Chairman Keith Brin has expressed concerns about Rinehart's bid for reelection, accusing him of prioritizing his progressive agenda over public safety.

Brin emphasized that Rinehart's support for policies like the SAFE-T Act and his alignment with Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx raise doubts about his commitment to effective law enforcement.

Brin asserted that Rinehart's vulnerabilities make him susceptible to defeat in the upcoming election, and he highlighted the importance of a pro-public safety candidate in the race.