VIDEO: Tired Cops, Justice & Injustice
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Police around the country are coming under closer scrutiny in the way they uphold the law. This talk examines factors that impact the policeman, including fatigue, and options to improve the situation.
Bryan Vila, PhD, is a professor of criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University. He pioneered the study of police fatigue, and currently directs the Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks laboratory at WSU Spokane’s Sleep and Performance Research Center. His research focuses on the impact of sleep-related fatigue, shift work, and long work hours on the safety, health, and performance of police officers.
Since receiving his Ph.D. in 1990 from the University of California, Davis, Dr. Vila has held tenured faculty positions at WSU, the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Wyoming. Prior to joining WSU in 2005, he directed crime control and prevention research for the U.S. Department of Justice. Before he became an academic, Bryan served as a law enforcement officer for 17 years—including nine years as a street cop and supervisor with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, six years as a police chief helping the emerging nations of Micronesia develop stable and culturally-appropriate law enforcement agencies, and two years as a federal law enforcement officer in Washington, D.C.