As paparazzi become ever more competitive in their quest for the perfect tabloid photo, complaints about their tactics are intensifying.
TMZ.com regularly places stationary video cameras in front of celebrity hot spots such as the Urth Caffe and the Ivy, streaming live on the Internet in hopes of catching the comings and goings of stars.
Paparazzi who follow Britney Spears 24/7 got into a high-speed chase with the pop star late Wednesday night in the San Fernando Valley, prompting police to arrest four photographers on suspicion of reckless driving.
And when Spears was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center two weeks ago, so many photographers, celebrity reporters and onlookers crowded the hospital entrance that patients and hospital staff had trouble getting through.
In response, Los Angeles law enforcement officials are beginning to crack down.
"Their numbers -- and aggressiveness -- have grown exponentially," said Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore, who cited a case this week in which West Hollywood sheriff's deputies were called to a gym after paparazzi brought traffic on Melrose Avenue to a standstill as they jostled to photograph Jessica Alba.
Both the Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department have begun keeping a running record of complaints about paparazzi, including names and the agencies that employ problem photographers. The Sheriff's Department has even started photographing some celebrity photographers, hoping to document bad behavior.
The LAPD is developing its own "zero tolerance" policy, using the state vehicle code and traffic and loitering laws to cite photographers who block traffic and lay siege to neighborhoods.
LAPD commanders are also planning to use undercover officers to stake out popular paparazzi hangouts -- such as restaurants and nightclubs -- documenting what goes on and building cases against photographers who break the law. The violations could be minor, such as having illegally tinted windows or not having license plates (a tactic some photographers use to avoid being identified).
On Monday, the LAPD warned celebrity photo agencies that officers would be out in force at Spears' custody hearing at the downtown civil courthouse, promising to arrest anyone who disrupted traffic, blocked sidewalks or interfered with court business.
