L.A. officials set sights on limiting paparazzi

As erratic and dangerous as the scrums appear to outsiders, some paparazzi lament the lost days of shooting celebs surreptitiously with telephoto lenses. They’re now within arms-length of other shooters, and stars or their bodyguards.

During the June scramble at LAX, a photographer accused one of Spears’ bodyguards of pushing his camera too hard into his face. Other photographers have accused actors Woody Harrelson and Pierce Brosnan of rough treatment in civil suits; both cases remain unresolved.

Zine said he wants to solicit input from the paparazzi, but the task force’s likely roster is comprised mostly of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and politicians.

Los Angeles-area law enforcement officials so far have preferred to use existing laws — such as the loitering statute used to arrest the photographers near Spears’ house — rather than endorse new regulations.

“As it stands today, the sheriff’s department is confident and comfortable that the laws that exist provide enough to ensure the safety and security of residents,” said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.

Baca is expected to participate in the task force because he prefers to be involved in discussions about new regulations, Whitmore said.

He noted that enforcing current regulations can be difficult, as the Malibu surfer melee revealed: Despite numerous online videos of the altercation, Whitmore said neither the paparazzi nor anyone else has yet to present investigators with an unedited version that could reveal what really happened. No arrests have been made.

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For their seemingly divergent interests, Zine and Cousart agree on one point: something has to change.

“It hasn’t been the same since 2003,” said Cousart, who said he would much rather shoot stars from a distance. But online video, which has become as lucrative as still pictures, requires close-ups of celebs and, in many cases, engaging them in unwanted conversations.

“If you don’t, you’re practically letting these guys take you over,” he said.

Zine likened any likely solutions to enforcement measures that average citizens would understand.

“You can smoke, but you can’t smoke in certain areas,” the councilman said. “You can go 55 miles-per-hour, but you can’t do it in a school zone. So we’re not saying you can’t take the picture.”

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