Bratton Is Certified as State Peace Officer

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton was officially certified as a California peace officer Tuesday after he passed tests in firearms and arrest techniques.

“It’s a rewarding process, but I’m also glad that it’s over,” Bratton said of a study regimen that included early mornings on the firing range and weekends in the company of books.

Jim Edison, a coordinator who administered the test at Fresno City College Police Academy, said Bratton received a perfect score on the shotgun test and a near-perfect score with his Glock handgun.

“This man was impressive,” Edison said of Bratton. “He was better prepared than most of the people who I see come through here, and that’s dozens of people from out of state every year. The instructors were like, ‘Hey, why aren’t other people prepared like this?’ ”

Bratton also passed a written exam that included 100 multiple-choice questions, most on California law.

The chief said the training gave him a greater appreciation of the “extraordinarily high” level of training required of his 9,100 officers.

The exam is a state requirement, even for someone who has served as chief of police in five cities, including Boston and New York.

The state Legislature in 1998 passed what is known as the “Willie Williams law,” requiring out-of-state police chiefs to receive California certification. It was named after the former Los Angeles Police Department chief from Philadelphia who did not complete the requirements for California peace officers.