May 26, 2006
Santa Monica Police Chief Steps Down to Head Airport Security
After 15 years on the job, Santa Monica Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. is stepping down.
Charismatic and at times controversial, Butts will be reporting for duty in late summer or early fall to help oversee security for four Los Angeles area airports, including LAX, which combined serve 68 million passengers a year, according to a statement released by the City.
As the Deputy Executive Director of Law Enforcement and Protection services, a newly created position with the City of Los Angeles, Butts will command 1,200 sworn and civilian security employees and assume a key role in coordinating 4,000 federal and local officials.
"My largest and most immediate challenge will be to strengthen the airport protection systems and infrastructure to deter terrorist attacks," Butts said in an internal email to staff.
His first act will be to select a chief to head the LAX airport police department, where he once served, Butts said.
Butts will leave behind more than his large corner office overlooking the Pacific in a $62 million Public Safety Facility built under his watch.
His legacy includes a dramatic drop in reports of serious crimes to the lowest level since 1957, mirroring State and national trends; a police approval rating that has soared to 80 percent, and a drop in liability awards against the department to an average of less than $60,000 a year.
Butts, who became the city's youngest police chief at 38, also pushed to diversify the predominantly white department, hiring Latinos, Blacks and Asians and naming Phil Sanchez to the post of deputy chief he created three years ago.
Butts -- who has two large high definition screens perched above his desk -- is credited with equipping the department with state-of the art technology. The department uses high-end computer programs to track crime trends, boasts upgraded squad cars and uses a video surveillance system to guard against terrorist threats on the pier and the Third Street Promenade.
Butts said he will take the lessons he learned in Santa Monica and apply them to protecting the millions of travelers who pass through area airports each year.
The City will launch a nationwide search for a police chief next month. An executive search firm will be hired and community input will be sought.
Source: www.surfsantamonica.com
Charismatic and at times controversial, Butts will be reporting for duty in late summer or early fall to help oversee security for four Los Angeles area airports, including LAX, which combined serve 68 million passengers a year, according to a statement released by the City.
As the Deputy Executive Director of Law Enforcement and Protection services, a newly created position with the City of Los Angeles, Butts will command 1,200 sworn and civilian security employees and assume a key role in coordinating 4,000 federal and local officials.
"My largest and most immediate challenge will be to strengthen the airport protection systems and infrastructure to deter terrorist attacks," Butts said in an internal email to staff.
His first act will be to select a chief to head the LAX airport police department, where he once served, Butts said.
Butts will leave behind more than his large corner office overlooking the Pacific in a $62 million Public Safety Facility built under his watch.
His legacy includes a dramatic drop in reports of serious crimes to the lowest level since 1957, mirroring State and national trends; a police approval rating that has soared to 80 percent, and a drop in liability awards against the department to an average of less than $60,000 a year.
Butts, who became the city's youngest police chief at 38, also pushed to diversify the predominantly white department, hiring Latinos, Blacks and Asians and naming Phil Sanchez to the post of deputy chief he created three years ago.
Butts -- who has two large high definition screens perched above his desk -- is credited with equipping the department with state-of the art technology. The department uses high-end computer programs to track crime trends, boasts upgraded squad cars and uses a video surveillance system to guard against terrorist threats on the pier and the Third Street Promenade.
Butts said he will take the lessons he learned in Santa Monica and apply them to protecting the millions of travelers who pass through area airports each year.
The City will launch a nationwide search for a police chief next month. An executive search firm will be hired and community input will be sought.
Source: www.surfsantamonica.com
