Stress among police officers has thrust WSU and the Spokane Police Department into the national spotlight. The national attention comes as tensions between police and some communities are growing. » More …
Ford Motors has created a way for law enforcement bosses to see where their subordinates go and track how they’re driving. Fifty Los Angeles Police Department cruisers have been outfitted with transmitters that send officers’ driving information to their supervisors, and can even tell if the boys in blue are wearing seat belts. The idea is that accountability will lead to better and safer driving behavior. » More …
Even distractions that are “far less demanding” than police vehicle equipment increase the risk of an officer getting into a traffic collision by more than double, according to early findings of a performance study. » More …
Safety and accountability were the primary reasons why Pullman police began wearing body cameras last year, but a new study suggests improved communication may be an even bigger benefit. » More …
Participants in an innovative WSU study of deadly force were more likely to feel threatened in scenarios involving black people. But when it came time to shoot, participants were biased in favor of black suspects, taking longer to pull the trigger against them than against armed white or Hispanic suspects.
The findings, published in the recent Journal of Experimental Criminology, grow out of dozens of simulations aimed at explaining the disproportionate number of ethnic and racial minorities shot by police. The studies use the most advanced technology available, as participants with laser-equipped guns react to potentially threatening scenarios displayed in full-size, high-definition video.
Lois James and Bryan Vila, research professors in criminology and criminal justice at WSU Spokane, used a sophisticated “deadly force” simulator to analyze how police, military and the general public react in threatening situations.