State should act on zones

Sayreville is part of a fast-growing number of New Jersey towns looking to create what have been dubbed “pedophile-free zones.” The measure bars certain convicted sex offenders from living near areas that children regularly use.

The state is considering legislation aimed for the same purpose, and it is important for many reasons that the Legislature act soon.

It remains to be seen whether, if challenged, these zones would hold up in court. Since protecting children from sexual predators is a regional issue, it would be fairer and more efficient for a state to defend these laws.

Also, a state bill could add some much-needed consistency, as many local towns are adding their own wrinkles to the ordinances and perhaps trying to outdo each other. For example, the typical distance in these laws has been 1,000 feet from whatever the town defines as a protected area, but other towns have expanded that to 2,500. And while most have imposed the buffers around areas like playgrounds and schools, Brick Township, in Ocean County, has added thousands of bus stops, essentially eliminating the entire town as a place offenders could live.

Like the cell phone bans of a few years ago, the pedophile-free zone has become a municipal lawmaking trend that doesn’t figure to end soon, especially since it has become a campaign issue in many towns this year. Our leaders in Trenton would do well to make their move before these local ordinances spread much further.