Safety should trump process. Move the hunt.

Wall Township and County Park officials are at odds over an expansion of Monmouth County's annual deer hunt program that will bring bow hunting to two areas designated by the township as no-hunting zones, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Wall Township zoned the areas as no hunting zones, presumably out of concern for the safety of its residents who live near by. Wall's zoning regulations do not apply to county owned land, and no Wall officials spoke out at the County Park System's hearings earlier this year. Former Wall Mayor John Tobia must have been busy in another part of the Halls of Records during those hearings.

The County Park System's response to Wall's objections has nothing to do with safety. "Your laws don't apply to us. We had a process, you missed it. Try again next year," is the essence of the county response. That is absurd.

Instead of passing the buck between each other and the park system, the Freeholders should cut the red tape and see to it that Wall's zoning regulations are complied with and that there is no hunt in the disputed area.