A broad range of law enforcement officials, criminology professionals, community activists and watchdog groups from Los Angeles to the Bay Area have welcomed San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris’ history-making ascension to the office of state attorney general and are confident — even those who endorsed her opponent Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley — she will apply the laws evenhandedly.

The plaudits came in the wake of Cooley conceding the race Nov. 25 when, trailing Harris by more than 50,000 votes, he telephoned to congratulate the Democratic victor.

Cooley’s defeat ended weeks of uncertainty in one of the closest statewide elections in California history as Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican-American father and Indian-American mother, became the first woman and non-White candidate to win the job of the state’s top law enforcement officer.

On Tuesday, Harris took the stage to rapturous applause at the Emerald Ballroom in the opulent surroundings of the downtown Millennium Biltmore Hotel to officially announce her acceptance of the post.

Harris was joined by family, friends and key political supporters that included Los Angeles City Council members Jan Perry, Eric Garcetti and Janice Hahn, City Controller Wendy Gruel, Assemblymen Mike Davis and Steve Bradford and county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Speaking to The Wave moments after Harris stepped off the podium, Ridley-Thomas hailed his presumptive new colleague as “an enlightened prosecutor and broad, strategic thinker, well-suited for this state, who will distinguish herself in the role of attorney general.”

“Out here today we recognize that candidates don’t have to run from their convictions when they choose to run for office,” said Harris, an avowed liberal who opposes the death penalty and supports same-sex marriage, in her opening remarks.

“Our work going forward will be one of rejecting false choices of accepting the fact that we can, for example, be tough and smart on crime and through the office of attorney general of California may, can and should have laws in reform of the criminal justice system that at this current point has the highest recidivism rate in the country.”

She added: “It can be about the work of bringing the best of what California has always done, which is to bring innovation to these systems, recognizing we can and should infuse metrics into our standards of success, instead of measuring ourselves based on some blind inherent tradition.”

Stephen Walker, director of legislative affairs for the California Correctional Peace Officers’ Association, a body that endorsed Cooley, declared himself a fan.

“I have to tell you that during our political interviews, we were extremely impressed by her and it was a split vote that unfortunately led us to endorse Mr. Cooley,” Walker said.

“But many of our board members were adamant that Kamala was going to win. So, I don’t think it’s a surprise, I think it’s probably indicative of the environment and society in California in the direction it’s headed.

“I think she will be very thoughtful [in the job]. It’s a bit presumptuous of me to say how she is going to handle it in total, but I believe she will be obviously considerate of the day to day pressures and activities that law enforcement are sometimes forced into. I think she will be a fair candidate.”

Meanwhile, Brian Moriguchi, president of the California Peace Officers’ Association, which also endorsed Cooley, offered cautious congratulations.

“We knew it was going to be a close race, we’re proud of the work Steve Cooley’s done and congratulate Ms. Harris on a winning race,” he said.

“We hope she will do the job as attorney general as expected by the people of California, not necessarily does what law enforcement wants her to do.

“We work with many politicians that have different viewpoints from our own. We’ll work to try and make sure the laws of California are enforced equally and fairly and will work with her as we would if Mr. Cooley had been elected.”

However, a more ringing endorsement came from Shine Jubilee, at the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police.

“The most significant thing to me was that Cooley lost L.A. County by 14 points and I don’t see any other way to interpret that except as a repudiation of his policies and his general job as a local official here,” he said.

“The results show that the people of California, particularly in L.A. County, supported her agenda of opposing the death penalty and fighting against bank foreclosures. The attorney general doesn’t set laws, and obviously she has to do her job, but at the same time her personal convictions come into play as far as how aggressive she will be and to what extent when the situation arises that challenge death penalty cases.”

Nevertheless, renowned Los Angeles attorney Carl Douglas, of the Douglas Law Group, who called Harris “one of the brightest lights in the Democratic Party,” brushed off any potential conflicts.

“I think she is an extremely intelligent person who will bring forthrightness to the office,” he said.

“Once the different police agencies get to know her I think she will gain their acceptance and appreciate that she will fulfill her obligations and follow the will of the people.”

Bay Area resident Jack Bryson, whose two sons were on the subway platform when Oscar Grant was fatally shot by former transit cop Johannes Mehserle, added a personal tribute.

“Three years ago when my brother was murdered in San Francisco she personally called a family member, sent condolences and made sure the funeral was taken care of,” he recalled.

“That’s her character and I just hope that with her being attorney general what Judge Perry did in that courtroom for Oscar Grant will not be allowed in the system anymore. She’s a great person — a strong, Black woman who is changing the face of California politics.”

Photo: California's history-making presumptive attorney general Kamala Harris, hailed as "an enlightened prosecutor and strategic thinker," steps off the podium in the Emerald Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, moments after her acceptance speech. Credit: Gary McCarthy