Dead tired: Fighting fatal fatigue in law enforcement

When it comes to police officers and sleep there is one certainty – cops are not getting enough shut-eye. But did you know that moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments equivalent to those of alcohol intoxication? With mandatory overtime, court appearances and in-service training all taking a toll on the time available for officers to actually sleep, what can cops and their supervisors to do ensure sleep deprivation doesn’t result in fatal errors? In this episode, host Jim Dudley chats with Dr. Stephen James, an assistant research professor at Washington State University, about his work relating to the interaction between physical stressors, such as sleep-related fatigue, and police performance.