Mayor Butts retired as one of the longest-serving police chiefs in the County of Los Angeles to serve as an Assistant General Manager/Deputy Executive Director of the Los Angeles World Airports system overseeing Public Safety and Counter-Terrorism. He was responsible for a budget of $116 million and 1,100 employees. From 2006 to 2010, the Mayor was directly responsible for the safety of 60 million passengers that travel through LAX. In less than 4 years, LAX went from being ranked near the bottom in airport security to being named the most secure airport in the United States by the Transportation Security Administration. Mayor Butts’ strong leadership is the culmination of decades of public service to the city he loves.

With over 40 years of combined experience in public safety, municipal government and education, Mayor Butts holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University at Los Angeles and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from California Polytechnic University at Pomona)

The Mayor served the residents of Inglewood for nearly two decades as an Inglewood police officer, ultimately rising to the rank of Deputy Chief of Police. Between 1980 and 1990 he was promoted 5 times. In 199, James Butts was selected to become Chief of Police for the City of Santa Monica where he served for 15 years. During his tenure in Santa Monica as Chief, crime fell to its lowest level since 1956–64%. Citizen complaints also fell by 50% and police liability payouts dropped by 99% as well.

In 2011, James T. Butts, Jr. was elected as the 12th mayor of the City of Inglewood. During his first term in office, under his leadership Inglewood has experienced record low unemployment, the lowest homicide rate in decades, rising home values, and went from being on the brink of bankruptcy to being the future host of a Super Bowl and NCAA College Championship Bowl Game, the home of two NFL Teams, one NBA Team and the World Olympic Games.