Police Chief Steps Down to Head Airport Security

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

May 25 -- 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 Wednesday.

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.

"I'd say my leadership style has been participatory and nurturing, and more authoritarian when action is needed," Butts said in an interview Wednesday. "My biggest regret is leaving.

“I love the people here, especially the people here in this department. But if I'm going to do another good thing, I need to leave while I'm young enough to do it," said the 52-year-old chief.

Santa Monica Mayor Bob Holbrook, who was on the council when Butts was hired in 1991, said the popular chief would be difficult to replace.

"I think he's been kind of a quite politician," Holbrook said. "At times, he's been one of the most popular people in Santa Monica, far more popular than any City Council member.

"He's had a remarkable career," Holbrook said, "and he's been a real asset to Santa Monica. His are some big shoes to fill."

The sentiment was echoed by other City Council members, as well as by new City Manager Lamont Ewell.

"Jim Butts leaves a great legacy of safety and security here in Santa Monica, having built a police department second to none over the past 15 years," Ewell 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.

"Citizen complaints are at a historic low and excessive force complaints today are a rarity," Butts' wrote in his email to staff.

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.

Through the years, Butts, whose brawny stature stands in contrast to his whispery voice, has not only become an effective peace officer, he has learned to play a bit of politics along the way, according to City officials.

He often garners the top spot in public polls as the City's most popular civic leader and knows many residents on a first-name basis.

"There are two great traits" all police chiefs must have, Butts said. They must be "politically astute and remain apolitical."

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.

During his tenure, the department's budget has mushroomed from less than $24 million in 1991 -- including retirement and medical benefits -- to more than $62 million in the projected 2006-07 fiscal budget released Tuesday.

Under Butts’ watch, the department became arguably the highest-paid force in the nation, with half of the 200-officer force earning more than $100,000 a year, thanks to a liberal overtime policy and a contract that guarantees the force ranks among the two-highest paid among comparable area cities. (see story)

But Butts’ tenure has not been without controversy.

In 1995 the department made national headlines after failing to inform the public that a rapist was at large in the south side of the city, spurring a public outcry demanding more information.

Karen Pomer -- who was raped in a Pico Neighborhood alley for six hours at gunpoint by the "south side rapist" -- took the department, and its popular chief, to task. (see story)

"They should have told people," said Pomer, who to this day gets emotional about her ordeal. "I don't know if I would have done something different that day, but I didn't know" about the previous rapes.

Butts counters that he and his department helped reach out to the public once they felt sure they were dealing with a serial rapist and not separate incidents.

"We didn't link the crimes" immediately, said Butts. "When it comes to safety, we've always erred on the side of being extra cautious.

"These are her perceptions and we did the best we could," said Butts. "We caught the guy and did the best we could."

Council member Richard Bloom -- who helped organize a community meeting and flyer the area -- called the events surrounding the serial rapist a "watershed moment" in police and community relations.

"It took a little bit of time for a sense of comfort between the community and the police to set in," Bloom said.

He argued the events helped the police department and community find a "balance" between releasing information to the public and keeping enough information confidential to solve the case.

Butts, who has a love-hate relationship with the media -- coveting the spotlight, while often mistrusting reporters -- has carefully controlled access to information, releasing terse press releases and limiting contact with his officers.

"He's still interested in talking to the press, he just became very cautious," said Holbrook, who has been a long-time supporter of Butts' policies. "I just got the sense he did not want misinformation going around."

The department also faced internal strife under Butts’ watch, with the arrest of half a dozen officers on charges ranging from workers comp fraud to bigamy to attempted murder.

Butts’ community policing program has been criticized by some residents who claim there have not been enough police walking the beats, and his handling of a series of gang shootings in the Pico Neighborhood has also not been without its critics.

Still, many City leaders say Butts is a man who fights crime with a passion, following through on a case even if it takes years to solve.

A 1998 killing of two brothers on Lincoln Boulevard remained an open case until recently, when DNA evidence led to the arrest of two suspects. (see story)

"For years Butts assured me it was not a cold case, and that (the police) would solve it," said Holbrook. "He was very heartfelt. When an arrest was made he gave me a call.

"We never give up on any of our homicides," said Butts, who noted that he is confident the police will also catch the killer of Eddie Lopez, the popular Somohi student gunned down this spring.

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.

"I never have fear" about any job, the chief said. "My expertise is in analyzing systems, discerning weaknesses and improving strengths."

Another asset, Butts said, “is working with people, providing leadership and vision."

Despite excitement about his new professional opportunities, Butts said he will miss Santa Monica, especially the view from his office.

"I have a view of the airport and a tiny strip of the ocean," he said.

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, Ewell said in a statement.