James T. Butts, Jr.
| James T. Butts Jr. | |
|---|---|
Butts in 2009
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| Born |
James Thurman Butts Jr. August 1, 1953 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Education |
Masters in Business Administration, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
| Occupation | Politician, former law enforcement official |
Masters in Business Administration, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
James Thurman Butts Jr. (born August 1, 1953) is an American politician, currently serving as the mayor of Inglewood, California. He rose through the ranks of law enforcement in Inglewood during the 1970s and 1980s, eventually becoming a captain. He then worked as Chief of Police in Santa Monica, California from 1991 to 2006. Butts then took a public safety position with Los Angeles World Airports in 2006. He was elected mayor of Inglewood in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 with an 84% vote. He led efforts to renovate and reopen the sports stadium The Forum in Inglewood and develop a plan for a new NFL stadium in Inglewood. Butts holds an MBA degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Los Angeles.
According to James Butts, he lost an opportunity for a basketball scholarship to go to Cal State-Los Angeles in his youth, due to an injury. To pay for college, he worked part-time at the Inglewood Police Department as the division's second African American cadet. It later turned into a full-time job. Butts earned an MBA degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Los Angeles.
James Butts joined the police force of Inglewood, California in 1972. He held several positions as a police officer, commander of a SWAT team, an undercover officer, and homicide detective. Butts was promoted to Sergeant in 1981, to Lieutenant in 1984, and then to Commanding Officer of the narcotics division in 1986. He led a team of 30 undercover agents that helped reduce drug trafficking in the Dixon-Darby and Lockhaven neighborhoods. In 1986, Butts was promoted to Chief of Operations and became the first African American at that level within a South Bay, California police department.
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