HOLLYWOOD - Plans to protect celebrities like Britney Spears from the paparazzi have been dealt a major blow by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief William Bratton, who insists the troubled star should just "stay home."
In a radio interview on Wednesday, Bratton slammed L.A. City Councilman Dennis P. Zine's recent bill proposal that would make it illegal for members of the paparazzi to photograph celebrities in designated safety zones if not licensed.
The LAPD boss is adamant the 26-year-old could conserve city resources--if she chose to stay indoors.
He says, "What we need is Britney Spears to stay home instead of traipsing all over town. That would solve the problem. We don't need additional laws.
I've got laws coming out my ears to deal with this issue.
"What you have is several young women in this town and several young men basically making fools of themselves and tying up not only my resources but the resources of the media that would do better covering legitimate stories instead of a bunch of airheads running around out there.
"Quite clearly, some of these characters so favored by the paparazzi are clearly in need of services. Not police services, but psychiatric services."
It was Spears' police escort from her Coldwater Canyon home to UCLA Medical Center last month that prompted the proposal. The motorcade included an ambulance, at least a dozen LAPD officers on motorcycles and a helicopter--all at a reported cost to authorities of $24,000.
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