They've tried reining in the paparazzi before -- with little success.
There was the time Los Angeles County prosecutors vowed to use criminal conspiracy charges against photographers who drove recklessly while chasing celebrities around. And remember when the California Legislature passed a law making it easier for celebrities to sue aggressive paparazzi?
But now, authorities are bringing in the big guns: L.A.'s much-feared parking enforcement division.
The Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation have converted streets around Paris Hilton's Hollywood Hills home to "Tow Away/No Stopping" zones in preparation for the hotel heiress' release from jail. The goal was to prevent a repeat of the internationally televised chaos of June 1, when hundreds of reporters essentially closed down Hilton's narrow canyon road to traffic in anticipation of her first trip to jail.
"We put up the signs Saturday. We gave verbal warnings [Monday] and expect to be out there in full regalia" today, said Bruce Gillman, a spokesman for the L.A. Department of Transportation. "We will have a legion of tow trucks at the bottom of the hill gathered like vultures."
The throng of photographers and reporters gathered for Hilton's return will be coming up against a 550-person team known for its persistence and energy.
Parking enforcement officers bring in $113 million in revenue a year -- and have made so many enemies that officials earlier this year urged state lawmakers to pass legislation increasing penalties for those who physically attack officers.
Anyone who parks in the roughly mile-long no-stopping zone will face a $70 ticket plus a $101.50 tow charge for standard-size vehicles, Gillman said. Depending on the size of vehicle, the tow charge could be higher, he added.
Some in the Hollywood tabloid business were skeptical that even strict parking enforcement would rein in the paparazzi. They noted that on Monday morning, before the LAPD began ticketing cars, more than 20 media vans were parked around Hilton's house.
"It could only happen in La-La Land. That is taxpayers' money paying for that," said Frank Griffin, co-owner of the Bauer-Griffin photo agency, one of the top paparazzi firms.
Griffin said tickets and towing charges would just be a cost of doing business for the photographers, who can make thousands of dollars from photos of Hilton.
