Stop the Paparazzi, One Step at a Time
- af: Rachel Lamb
My name is Rachel Lamb. I have drafted this petition on behalf of the residents of Summit Circle, a gated community on Mulholland Drive. I will be presenting it to the Los Angeles City Council at the February 2007 meeting. The purpose of this petition is to protect the residents' right to be free from harassment, stalking, and aggressive acts of the media "paparazzi".
On my daily commute to work, I have witnessed several occasions where paparazzi are harassing the Summit Circle residents. Paparazzi vehicles can be found at all times of the day, parked upon the grass and surrounding lands near Summit Circle. This land is clearly not for public use, but landscaping and private land owned by the City of Los Angeles. These vehicles are occupied by individuals armed with cameras and video equipment, stalking the residents of this community. Certainly, there are residents of more interest than others; nonetheless, the paparazzi will park and wait, like predators looking for an opportunity to attack their prey. I have seen them jump from their vehicles to run across two lanes of traffic to the gated entrance, to take photos and video the incoming and outgoing residents. While they may be parked off the private property, paparazzi will trespass in order to get what they are seeking- a captured piece of a resident's private life that can later be sold for profit. I have also witnessed several high speed chases from paparazzi who erupt from their parking spots in efforts to surround and follow a resident's vehicle. I have been cut off by their vehicles, doing illegal turns on this winding mountaintop road- all in an effort to stalk and harass the resident for profit.
The residents of the Summit Circle community and surrounding areas are normal people with families and private lives. They have a right to protect themselves and their families from outside forces who seek only to pry, invade, and profit- at any cost. As a citizen of Los Angeles, I am sickened at the paparazzi's behavior, and the lack of protection the city provides the victims. This is my attempt at making a difference in the lives of people who make a difference to me. I do not think the city should wait until a serious accident or injury befalls one of these residents before they make a change.
That the City of Los Angeles enact an ordinance which would make it illegal for any vehicle to be parked on the land opposing the entrance to the Summit Circle community, as well as the land up and down Mulholland Drive which is not currently licensed for public use.
Such an ordinance would prevent the paparazzi from being allowed to stalk and harass the residents, their families, and visitors- by prohibiting vehicles from parking and loitering on the grass, curbs, and land along Mulholland Drive, the residents would be able to come and go from their homes without the paparazzi's dangerous presence.
Currently, at any given time of the day, known paparazzi will be parked in their vehicles across from the entrance to the Summit Circle gated community. These vehicles are parked on the grass, up and over the curb, on the beautiful landscaping of this Los Angeles mountain range. Up and down Mulholland Drive, paparazzi will lay in wait for the residents to emerge from their homes. Despite efforts from the Summit Circle security force to seek police assistance in this matter, it has been repeatedly stated by the enforcing officers that there is nothing that can be done; that so long as the paparazzi do not park on Summit Circle's private property, they will be permitted to lie in wait for their prey. However, several high speed pursuits occur on a weekly, if not daily, basis when vehicles of paparazzi will follow and surround the resident's vehicle in efforts to get photographs or video footage. Additionally, paparazzi will trespass onto the private property when they see a resident emerging or entering the Summit Circle property. It is not uncommon for said paparazzi to continue to stalk the resident around the city until they return to their homes later.
By enacting a city ordinance which prohibits a vehicle from parking and remaining on the Mulholland Drive lands, paparazzi forces will be unsuccessful in their invasive and aggressive actions. In turn, the residents' right to be safe from predators will be preserved.
Thank you.
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