James T. Butts Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James T. Butts Jr.
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| Mayor of Inglewood, California | |
| Assumed office January 27, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Danny Tabor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Thurman Butts Jr.
August 1, 1953 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent |
| Education | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (MBA) California State University at Los Angeles (BS) |
| Occupation | Politician, former law enforcement official |
| Police career | |
| Department | Inglewood Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Los Angeles World Airports Police Police Department |
James Thurman Butts Jr. (born August 1, 1953) is an American politician who is the mayor of Inglewood, California. Before becoming mayor, he had a long career in law enforcement.
Butts started as a police officer in Inglewood and worked his way up to become a Deputy Chief. Later, he served as the Chief of Police in Santa Monica, California, from 1991 to 2006. After that, he worked in a public safety role for Los Angeles World Airports.
In 2010, he was elected mayor of Inglewood. As mayor, he played a big part in major projects for the city. These included renovating The Forum and helping to bring SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome to Inglewood.
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Early Life and Education
James Butts Jr. was born and grew up in Los Angeles. He went to Crenshaw High School and later California State University, Los Angeles. Butts said that a sports injury kept him from getting a basketball scholarship.
To pay for his college education, he took a part-time job with the Inglewood Police Department. This job later became his full-time career. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Career in Law Enforcement
Inglewood Police Department
James Butts joined the Inglewood police force in 1972. He held many different jobs during his time there. He was a police officer, a homicide detective, an undercover officer, and the commander of a SWAT team.
He was promoted several times. In 1981, he became a Sergeant, and in 1984, a Lieutenant. By 1986, he was the Commanding Officer of the narcotics division, where he led a team of undercover agents. In 1986, he was promoted again to Chief of Operations. This made him the first African American to hold such a high rank in a police department in the South Bay area of California.
Santa Monica Police Department
In 1991, Butts became the Chief of Police for the city of Santa Monica, California. He held this position until 2006. During his time as chief, the city's crime rate dropped significantly.
Early in his job, the city council asked him to study crime in the area. In his report, Butts suggested that enforcing a city rule against sleeping in public parks could help reduce crime in Palisades Park. However, enforcing this rule was complicated because the city attorney at the time disagreed with it.
Los Angeles World Airports
In 2006, Butts took a new job as the head of security and law enforcement for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). This organization manages airports like Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). According to the Los Angeles Times, Butts improved training and discipline at LAWA. In 2009, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) named LAX the most secure large airport in the country.
Mayor of Inglewood
Butts was elected mayor of Inglewood on January 27, 2011. When he took office, the city was facing major financial problems. Butts promised to improve the city's finances and focus on public safety.
One of the biggest money problems was that the city had promised to pay for lifetime health benefits for its employees, even if they only worked for the city for a short time. Butts worked with several unions to change this agreement. The new plan required employees to work for at least 15 years to receive these benefits.
Butts and the City Council also started many projects to repair the city's infrastructure, like its sewer systems.
Bringing Entertainment and Sports to Inglewood
Mayor Butts was a key figure in the project to renovate The Forum, a famous entertainment venue in Inglewood. The project, which cost $100 million, was approved in 2012. The Forum reopened in 2014. Butts was re-elected as mayor in November 2014 with 83 percent of the vote, a record-setting victory in Inglewood.
Bringing the NFL to Inglewood
Butts worked hard to bring a professional football team back to the Los Angeles area. He supported a $1.86 billion plan to build a new NFL stadium in Inglewood. The city council approved the plan in February 2015.
Thanks to his efforts, the Los Angeles Rams football team moved to Inglewood in 2016. Butts also helped arrange a deal for the land where the stadium, now known as SoFi Stadium, and a larger entertainment complex would be built.
Some people worried that the stadium was too close to LAX airport. They thought it could be a safety risk. However, aviation experts studied the issue and disagreed. Butts called the report that raised these concerns "fraudulent."
City Leadership Challenges
During his time as mayor, Butts and the city of Inglewood faced several legal challenges and disagreements.
- YouTube Videos: In 2015, the city of Inglewood sued a citizen for posting videos on YouTube that were critical of Mayor Butts. The videos used clips from city council meetings. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, stating that cities cannot claim copyright over public meeting videos. The judge also said the city seemed to be trying to limit free speech.
- Budget Lawsuit: In 2016, Inglewood's former budget manager sued the city and Mayor Butts. She claimed she was fired for pointing out problems with the city's accounting during the time the city was working on the NFL deal. The city denied her claims, and the lawsuit was settled a year later.
- Arena Disagreement: In 2018, the company that owns The Forum sued Mayor Butts and the city. The company claimed that Butts had tricked them into giving up a lease on city land. They said he told them it would be used for a technology park, but then the city started secret talks to build a new basketball arena, the Intuit Dome, on that same land for the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Treatment of City Officials: In 2020, Inglewood's City Treasurer, Wanda Brown, tried to raise concerns about the city's spending at council meetings. Mayor Butts limited her speaking time and cut off her microphone. The City Council later reduced many of her duties and cut her pay. Brown sued Butts and the city, and the case is ongoing.
Personal Life
In March 2021, Butts had a serious health issue at his office in Inglewood City Hall. He needed emergency surgery and spent several days in the hospital.
