We Need to Keep Our Children Safe in Palatine and Beyond

I understand how afraid and angry parents in Palatine and the surrounding communities must feel right now with Palatine Amateur Football Association (PAFA) games planned this weekend at Ost Field in the Village's downtown area. This after a local man drove his car at high speeds onto the field where children, players and adults were standing during the middle of a game on September 17.

Parents say this man was dressed in all-black clothing, wearing a balaclava, black sunglasses, and a black hat. They say he made shooting motions with his hands toward the crowd before he sped away. Thankfully, no one was physically hurt, and police arrested him, but he was quickly released. I’m told by parents this man has now made additional threats.

Parents are demanding action, but local law enforcement’s hands are tied due to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s policies and her backers in the State legislature - including State Representative Mark Walker. This situation is outrageous, but unfortunately not unique, as similar instances are happening in communities across our State.

Police have told parents to reach out to their state representatives to communicate their serious fears for their own and their children’s safety - because these policies are constraining them from keeping us safe in situations just like this. Law enforcement has been warning us for months that these extreme policies are threatening the safety of our neighborhoods. And they are right. Lawlessness is spreading everywhere.

• We don’t have to live this way. Our friends and family in other states don’t live like this.
• We deserve safe neighborhoods and the ability to raise our families with peace of mind.
• We must listen to our police when they warn us of what will happen unless we make urgent change.

We are in the middle of an election – and this is a dire situation that truly highlights what is going wrong with our County and State leadership.

We need change. State Representative Mark Walker cast the 60th and deciding vote to pass the dangerous SAFE-T Act which will make the lawlessness we are already experiencing even worse. He also endorsed Foxx for re-election stating she was the “national example” of criminal justice reform. Mr. Walker is simply, out of touch.

I’m a husband, a father, a veteran, and a former criminal prosecutor. I’m running against Mark Walker because I believe he’s lost touch with the needs of our families, including the need to feel safe while watching their children play a football game. While Walker is playing political games in Springfield, the safety of our neighborhoods is slipping away.

Vote for common sense this election – say no to Mark Walker and please vote for me, Jack Vrett, for State Representative. I will work tirelessly to ensure we provide all the resources and tools that our police need to keep our communities safe.