Edison Parents Could Soon Be Fined for Their Child’s E-Scooter

After seeing preteens zoom past on souped-up e-scooters, Edison police are saying enough is enough.

Police Chief Thomas Bryan brought a tough new plan to Monday night’s Township Council meeting that could hit parents in the wallet if their kids break e-bike and scooter laws.

The proposed rule would ban high-speed scooters from major roads and make parents pay the price when their children get caught riding dangerously.

“We’ve had children as young as 12 riding scooters modified to go up to 45 miles per hour,” Bryan told council members. “This ordinance gives us the ability to get those vehicles off the highways and keep kids safe.”

The plan would slap adults with fines up to $1,000 for breaking the rules more than once. Parents of kids caught riding illegally could also face fines, and police could take away the scooters for up to two months.

Not everyone loved the idea of punishing parents. Councilmember John Poyner said he backs the safety goal but worries about being fair to moms and dads.

“When I was 17 and got a speeding ticket, I was responsible, not my parents,” he said.

Chief Bryan explained that other towns in Middlesex County have already passed similar laws, and Edison needs its own rules to give police better tools to stop dangerous riding.

Here’s what else happened during the meeting.

Red Roof Inn Safety Concerns Raised

Council President Margot Harris brought up troubling issues at the local Red Roof Inn, where drugs and crime have become a growing problem for the neighborhood.

Harris said she learned that six animals currently at the township’s shelter came from the hotel. She also mentioned a recent fatal overdose at the property.

“It does not look like it’s been a particularly safe place to be,” Harris said. “I’m wondering, do we have any oversight at all over what goes on there?”

Chief Bryan told the council that officers have responded to the hotel multiple times, including several SWAT team operations. He explained that the county and state send people to stay at the motel and pay for their rooms, which he said has made the situation worse.

“We have a lot of ongoing operations to keep the neighbors in that area safe, of course, and we continue to work with the management there to see what we can do to resolve the issues,” Bryan said.

The police chief said the township is working on a new ordinance that would give officials more control over who the state can place at local hotels. He noted that many of the police department’s calls for help come from that area.