Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday ordered state corrections officials to stop dumping a high number of paroled sex offenders in any one ZIP code in Illinois and called for licensing of group homes for the offenders.

The move comes one day after a Tribune story reported that 158 men--or 10.5 percent--of the 1,500 sex offenders on parole in Illinois live in the 60628 ZIP code on Chicago's South Side in poor African-American areas.

The paroled offenders, many originally from Downstate, were sent to live in the Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights and West Pullman neighborhoods.

"The Tribune story pointed out how difficult this issue is, how complex it is and how explosive it is," said Cheryle Jackson, a spokeswoman for Blagojevich. "The media highlighted a problem we had been working on."

The announcement was made the same day Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan announced arrests of 31 convicted child sex offenders who allegedly violated state law by living within 500 feet of schools, day-care centers or parks in suburban Cook County. None of those men was on parole, Sheahan said.

As part of the governor's initiative, he called for Illinois Department of Corrections officials to stop placing paroled sex offenders in areas that already have large numbers. State officials have not yet set a limit on how many can live in one ZIP code.

"No one community should be forced to shoulder this responsibility. It's not safe, and it's not fair," the governor said.

Blagojevich's changes also require the state Department of Corrections to develop statewide licensing standards for transitional group homes that provide housing for sex offenders on parole. Corrections officials have started to move some of the parolees from Cook County to Downstate areas where they came from.

These standards would limit the number of people allowed in group homes, require 24-hour supervision, require 24-hour electronic monitoring, call for regular visits from parole agents and require that homes have regular contact with local police.

Blagojevich also ordered corrections officials to begin a pilot project to track 200 of the most dangerous sex offenders by using 24-hour global positioning systems. Currently parolees are required to wear electronic-monitoring bracelets.

Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), whose ward makes up most of the ZIP code where the paroled sex offenders live and who has said the state has been dumping parolees in her ward, welcomed Blagojevich's actions.

"I'm glad to know the governor has respected our community enough to say let me do something about this," Austin said. "I'm glad that he has responded as expeditiously as he has. These are my people; sending so many sex offenders to us is unfair."

Officials said there are five group homes in the 60628 ZIP code that contract with the state. The state licenses would make sure that all homes statewide are run by the same rules, Austin said.

"To me so many in one location is unhealthy, that's like sending the fox into the hen house," Austin said. "Statewide licensing covers everybody, and it doesn't circumvent anyone. Everyone is involved."

The moves come as Sheahan announced arrests over the last two weeks of child sex offenders living too close to schools, parks and day-care centers in suburbs from Skokie to Harvey.

"These guys know the law and how to get around it," Sheahan said. "These guys know what they have to do."

Angelo Armistead, principal of Thornton Township High School, said he was notified by the Sheriff's Department that two sex offenders were living only 59 feet from the school.

"We're very concerned about it," Armistead said. "By living right across the street they could watch patterns, their routines, their comings and goings. It was a big safety concern for us."

Roy Miller, 44, and Daniel Parker, 65, were among 31 men charged with the Class IV felonies, punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison.

Miller was convicted of the criminal sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy, and Parker was convicted of the criminal sexual assault of a 6-year-old boy, officials said. Last summer, the men were charged with living too close to the school and although they were given probation, they returned to the same address, Sheahan said.

In Maywood, Cynthia Wilson, who has four children at the Lexington School, said she wasn't aware of the law but supported it. She was shocked to find that Willie Belton, 43, convicted in 1998 and 1992 of child sex offenses, lived kitty-corner from the school.

"It's a good law. Being near a school is too much temptation for a person like that," she said.

Some parents, such as Dan Mustari, 37, voiced concerns about sex offenders living close to areas children visit regularly.

As he dropped his son off at a recreation facility in Streamwood, Mustari said he thought more should be done to inform residents of where sex offenders settle.

"How do you know they're not coming here?" said Mustari, of Des Plaines. "I'm not sure about putting an ad in the paper. But ... maybe?"