Peace officers: firearms.

(1) Existing law requires a retired peace officer who was authorized to, and did, carry a firearm during the course and scope of employment as a peace officer to have an endorsement on his or her identification certificate stating that the issuing agency approves of the officer's carrying of a concealed and loaded firearm. Existing law provides that a retired peace officer may have the privilege to carry a concealed and loaded firearm revoked or denied by violating any departmental rule, or state or federal law that, if violated by an officer on active duty, would result in that officer's arrest, suspension, or removal from the agency. Existing law permits an identification certificate authorizing the officer to carry a concealed and loaded firearm or an endorsement on the certificate to be immediately and temporarily revoked by the issuing agency when the conduct of a retired peace officer compromises public safety. This bill would make these provisions applicable to a retired reserve officer if the retired reserve officer carried a firearm during the course and scope of his or her appointment, was a level I reserve officer, and served in the aggregate the minimum amount of time as specified by the retiree's agency's policy as a level I reserve peace officer. The bill would prohibit the policy from setting an aggregate term requirement that is less than 10 years or more than 20 years. The bill would prohibit service as a reserve officer, other than a level I reserve officer prior to January 1, 1997, from counting toward that aggregate term requirement. The bill would authorize a law enforcement agency to revoke or deny an endorsement issued to a retired reserve peace officer. (2) Under existing law, the prohibitions on carrying a concealed weapon and on carrying a loaded firearm do not apply to honorably retired peace officers who were authorized to carry firearms during the course and scope of their employment as peace officers. This bill would state that the above exemption applies to honorably retired peace officers who were authorized to carry firearms during the course and scope of their appointment, rather than employment, as peace officers.