Rash of Political Sign Thefts In Hinsdale: Cops

HINSDALE, IL — For some, one of the traditions of election season is stealing the political signs of causes they oppose. It's also against the law and a violation of the spirit of the First Amendment.

In the last few days, Hinsdale police have received five reports of stolen campaign signs. The thefts occurred in the 10 block of East Fourth Street, the 100 block of West Third Street, the 700 block of North Oak Street, the 300 block of East Sixth Street and the 5500 block of South Park Avenue.

In one case, a man on a bicycle was seen stealing a sign, police said. The suspect was described as white, about 30, and wearing a blue shirt and black spandex.

The police reports on the thefts did not indicate whether the sign thieves were targeting any particular cause or campaign. Patch left a message with Thomas Lillie, Hinsdale's deputy police chief, for that information.

Like Hinsdale, other area police departments typically do not include the message on stolen signs in their reports. The other day, though, Western Springs' police blotter indicated a sign supporting Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was stolen.