Britney Spears incident prompts talk of paparazzi safety zone
Feb 6th, 2008 by Rob
The Los Angeles City Council wants people to stay away from Britney Spears. Probably good advice.
But because some people insist, Councilman Dennis Zine called for a city ordinance Thursday to place limits on how close paparazzi can get to people they photograph, because, he says, there is an inherent safety risk associated with the chaotic mob mentality (think Princess Diana). Zine added that such a law would cut down on the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on special police escorts – Spears’ trip to the hospital this week cost LA residents an estimated $25,000.
But a few media observers are calling the “safety zone” proposal an infringement on the rights of the press to report on (and photograph) public news events.
“‘Any kind of law that you try to draft to cover the paparazzi will apply to all reporters. You can’t carve out a law that will apply to just the paparazzi,’ said Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.”
Even leaders within the LAPD are speaking out against the proposed measure, which they say is unnecessary:
“‘Councilman Zine is responding to frustration we all have with the paparazzi,’ [Police Chief William J.] Bratton said. ‘We already have appropriate laws within the constitutional guidelines and we intend to do that whether it is erratic driving, trespassing on private property or any action that goes beyond the constitutional rights to cover a story.’”
The police protection for Spears’ hospital trip included two dozen officers, several motorcycles, a helicopter and an ambulance with darkened windows.
