Bratton faces his toughest test yet

Public outrage over the violence -- 30 civilians were struck by police officers wielding batons and firing foam projectiles -- occurred just as the Police Commission was poised to reappoint him to a second five-year term.

Bratton was careful to measure his words but wasted no time declaring that his department won't tolerate what he called the disturbing tactics captured on news videos and broadcast worldwide.

Bratton's recent predecessors, Bernard C. Parks, Willie L. Williams and Daryl F. Gates, were ousted in part because they failed to maintain adequate support from not only city residents and elected leaders but also from the Police Department's rank and file.

In the cases of Parks and Gates, confidence in them plummeted over their response to allegations of police misconduct; for Parks it centered on disclosures of corrupt and brutal officers in the Rampart Division; for Gates it was the beating of Rodney G. King.

Bratton's handling of the May Day controversy is testing all of his political skills and proving to be his most significant challenge since becoming chief in 2002.

Late Thursday, the board of directors of the Police Protective League, the police union, fired off a letter seeking an apology and warning that the 59-year-old chief was treading in dangerous territory by making remarks denigrating the character of police.

"It's quite a tightrope he's walking right now," said attorney Constance L. Rice, who has studied LAPD management for years. "Bratton has to signal that he gets it, that mindless unprovoked use of force is not acceptable. But he also needs to reach out to the union and acknowledge that they are partners in public safety who need to get onboard with the program."

Some supporters believe the savvy Bratton will find a way back to safe ground, having benefited from years of experience in the political hothouse of New York, where he previously headed the Police Department in a tabloid-heavy atmosphere.

Those backers point to how Bratton has avoided some of the mistakes of his predecessors by not denying the seriousness of the problem and by putting in motion investigations to hold officers accountable for any wrongdoing.