WSU Spokane was the setting this week for the TEAM Conference, a two-day event that brought first responders and mental health professionals together to discuss ways our community can work together on issues of mental health.
Research from our campus played a big role in having the conference on campus.
The latest episode of the Health Sciences Update – airing on Comcast channel 17 in the greater Spokane area – features discussions on two types of research.
The first segment features Georgina Lynch from our Speech and Hearing Sciences department talking about her research on autism. The second segment features Bryan Vila and Steve James, both in our Criminal Justice department, talking about their innovative research.
(Ed. Note: The latest edition of the WSU Spokane Magazine is available as a PDF here. It is also distributed statewide to WSU alumni and friends. We will share a story each day from the latest issue on the blog. Enjoy!)
By Kevin Dudley
Research conducted in the Criminal Justice program at WSU Spokane has succeeded in changing practices and policies of local and national law enforcement agencies, as well as connected local law enforcement more strongly to the University.
Researchers in our Criminal Justice department are once again gaining attention for their innovative research on police decision-making.
In the past few days, KING TV in Seattle aired two stories featuring the research:
WSU lab studies the science behind police shootings
This morning, The Today Show featured WSU Spokane research on distracted driving and police officers.
Our research looks into the ways the body operates when being distracted while driving. With this research, hopefully solutions can be formed to make the roads safer for everyone.
Our research on police and deadly encounters has received attention in a number of places.
Dr. Lois James’ research shows that police officers hesitate longer when encountering black suspects in deadly situations than they do with white suspects.
Dr. Bryan Vila’s research on police fatigue and decision making shows that police officers have an extremely difficult job and was featured on Anderson Cooper 360.
Last night, CNN’s Don Lemon hosted a town hall called “Cops Under Fire” and referenced the research happening on our campus.
Bryan Vila is a Criminal Justice professor and a researcher on our campus. His research on police work has received attention in a number of media outlets, including the New York Times, NPR and CNN.
Recently, Vila presented at TEDx Spokane, an event independent of TED Talks but with a similar mission: to share ideas.
Vila talked about the various factors that impact police officers’ decision making processes, including fatigue, too much work and too little sleep, distractions in the squad car and more. Vila attributes some of this to insufficient funding in many police departments around the country. Vila’s suggested solutions to these problems boil down to increasing staffing and improving how the challenges of shift work are managed.
Watch the presentation:
