L.A. Police Chief William Bratton is poking a hole in a city councilman's proposed paparazzi space bubble.
In the wake of the $25,000 Britney Spears hospital motorcade, Councilman Dennis Zine proposed creating a legally enforceable system of licensing and invisible barriers aimed at curbing aggressive celebrity photographers. "It's not only costly," Zine told Radar, "It's hazardous and unacceptable."
But Chief Bratton, who first suggested Britney and others needing "psychiatric services" should just stay home, says such an ordinance would be impossible to enforce and would open up the police to charges of favoritism based on who was considered a celebrity or a paparazzo. Zine called his chief's comment premature and asked, "What do we do the next time Britney Spears has to go to the hospital? Do we spend another $25,000 and (deploy) those police resources that are stretched so far?"
Or the cops could just start moonlighting as paps and donate 90 percent of money made on the sale of exclusive pics to the departments they serve. First on the scene wins! The only ones that lose in this scenario are celebrities seeking public services, and you know what? Screw you guys. Hire a private security firm.
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• L.A. City Councilman: Call in Paps Cops