![](https://profiles.aws.medicine.wsu.edu/PROFILES/228-Stephen_James/medium.jpg)
- Assistant Professor
Education
- Washington State University, PhD in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2015
- Washington State University, MA in Criminal Justice, 2011
- Trinity College, Dublin University, BSc (Hons) in Business & IT, 2007
Biography
Education
- Washington State University, PhD in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2015
- Washington State University, MA in Criminal Justice, 2011
- Trinity College, Dublin University, BSc (Hons) in Business & IT, 2007
Experience
- Core Faculty Member, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, August 2016 – Present.
- Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Washington State University, November 2019 – October 2022.
- Assistant Research Professor, College of Nursing, Washington State University, September 2019 – October 2020.
- Assistant Research Professor, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, July 2016 – August 2019.
Honors & Awards
- 2019-Outstanding Paper in the 2019 Emerald Literati Awards Winner for: Vila, B., James, S. M., & James, L. (2018). How Police Officers Perform in Encounters with the Public: Measuring What Matters at the Individual Level. Policing: An International Journal.
- 2018-Outstanding Paper in the 2018 Emerald Literati Awards Highly Commended for: James, L. James, S.M., & Vila, B. (2017) “Does the “reverse racism effect” withstand the test of police officer fatigue?” Policing: An International Journal.
- 2016-Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Conference Best Paper & Best Paper in Human Performance Analysis and Engineering, 2016.
- 2016-Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane Commencement Student Spotlight Award, 2016.
- 2016-Emerald Publishing 2016 Outstanding Paper of the Year Award for Excellence for: James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2015). Police Drowsy Driving: Predicting Fatigue-Related Performance Decay. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3).
- 2012-Member of CA POST SAFE Driving Research Team awarded the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)/Sprint 2012 Excellence in Law Enforcement Research Award
Publications
- Alison, A., Tiesman, H.M., Wong, I.S., Bernzweig, D., James, L., James, S.M., Navarro, K.M. & Patterson, D. (2022) Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23407
- James, L., Caruso, C.C., & James, S.M. (2022) Pilot test of NIOSH training for law enforcement on shift work and long work hours’. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 64(7), 599-606. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002534
- Lynch, G., James, S.M., Cardon, T. & McPherson, S. (2022) Sensitivity and specificity of pupillary light reflex measures for ASD using monocular pupillometry. Neurological Sciences, 43, 4537-4545. doi.org/10.1007/s10072-022-05976-2
- Wilson, M., Elkins-Brown, N., James, L., James, S.M., Stevens, K., & Butterfield, P. (2022). Psychometric evaluation of the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument in a population of working nurses. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 30(1). doi.org/10.1891/jnm-d-20-00083
- James, L., James, S.M., & Hesketh, I. (2021) Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Fatigue and Shift Working Risk Management Strategy for UK Home Office Police Forces: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Emergency Services, 11(2), 292-299. doi.org/10.1108/IJES-05-2021-0031
- James, L., Elkins-Brown, N., Wilson, M., James, S.M., Dotson, E., Edwards, C.D., Wintersteen-Arleth, L., Stevens, K., & Butterfield, P., (2021) The effects of three consecutive 12-hour shifts on cognition, sleepiness, and domains of nursing performance in day and night shift nurses: A quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 123. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104041
- James, S., Heintzman-Yutzie, S., & James, L. (2021). An Effectiveness Evaluation of the Oregon State Revised Basic Police Academy Curriculum. In E. Arble, & B. Arnetz (Ed.), Interventions, Training, and Technologies for Improved Police Well-Being and Performance 38-54. IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-6820-0.ch003
- James, L., James, S. M., Wilson, M., Brown, N., Dotson, E. J., Dan Edwards, C., & Butterfield, P. (2020). Sleep health and predicted cognitive effectiveness of nurses working 12-hour shifts: an observational study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 112. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103667
- James, S., James, L., & Dotson, L. (2020). Evaluating the effectiveness of a police department’s early intervention system. Journal of Experimental Criminology. 17, 457-471. doi.org/10.1007/s11292-019-09397-8
- Gunzelmann, G., James, S. M., & Caldwell, J. L. (2019). Basic and applied science interactions in fatigue understanding and risk mitigation in Progress in Brain Research, Chapter 8, 177-204. doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.03.022
- James, L., James, S., Davis, R., & Dotson, E. (2019). Using Interval-Level Metrics to Investigate Situational-, Suspect-, and Officer-Level Predictors of Police Performance During Encounters With the Public. Police Quarterly, 22(4), 452-480. doi.org/10.1177/1098611119857559
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2016). The reverse racism effect: are cops more hesitant to shoot black suspects? ,. Criminology and Public Policy, 15(2), 457-479.
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2017). Does the “Reverse Racism Effect” Withstand the Test of Police Officer Fatigue? Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 40(2), 184-196. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-01-2016-0006
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2018). Race, Attire, or Demeanor: Do Suspect Characteristics or Behaviors Predict Whether Routine Police-Civilian Encounters Turn Deadly? Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management.
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2018). The Impact of Work Shift and Fatigue on Police Officer Response in Simulated Interactions with Citizens. Journal of Experimental Criminology.
- James, S. M. (2015). Distracted Driving Impairs Police Patrol Officer Driving Performance. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3), 505-516.
- James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2012). Driven to Distraction. The Journal Of California Law Enforcement, 46(2), 14-18.
- James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2015). Police Drowsy Driving: Predicting Fatigue-Related Performance Decay. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3), 517-538.
- James, S. M., Honn, K., Gaddameedhi, S., & Van Dongen, H. P. (In Press). Shift Work: Disrupted Circadian Rhythms and Sleep – Implications for Health and Well-Being. Current Sleep Medicine Reports.
- Johnson, R. R., Stone, B. T., Miranda, C. M., Vila, B., James, L., James, S. M., . . . Berka, C. (2014). Identifying psychophysiological indices of expert versus novice performance in deadly force judgment and decision making. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8(512). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00512
- Vila, B., James, S. M., & James, L. (In Press). How Police Officers Perform in Encounters with the Public: Measuring What Matters at the Individual Level. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management.
- Winser, M. A., Hinson, J. M., James, S. M., Vila, B., Whitney, P., & Van Dongen, H. P. (2014). Fatigue During Deadly Force Decision-Making: Measuring Skin Conductance Response During Simulations. Sleep-Wake Research in The Netherlands, 25, 81-84.
- Wolfe, S. E., Rojek, J., Alpert, G., Tiesman, H., & James, S. M. (2015). Characteristics of Officer-Involved Vehicle Collisions in California. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3), 458-477.
Additional Info
Presentations
- 2022 Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, 2022 Wellness Conference, 12/03/22, Kansas City, MO, “Working yourself to death”
- 2022 US Embassy, Berlin – US State Department Cultural Exchange – Frankfurt Police Academy, 11/16/22, Online, “Bias”
- 2022 International Association of Chiefs of Police, 10/17/2022, Dallas, TX, “Driving on Empty: Supporting Tired Cops to Improve Safety and Performance on the Roadways”
- 2022 US Embassy, Berlin – US State Department Cultural Exchange – Brandenburg Police Academy, 09/14/22, Online, “Bias”
- 2022 Force Science Annual Conference, 06/22/22, Orlando, FL, “Utilizing Wearable Technology to Enhance Police Officer Resiliency and Performance”
- 2022 American Society of Evidence Based Policing, 05/23/2022, Washington DC, “Counter Bias Training for Police”
- 2021 NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), 11/19/21, Online, Stress and Cardiovascular Disease among First Responders Webinar: Data from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Study, Moderator
- Association of Washington Cities 30th Annual Healthy Worksite Summit, March 2017, Lynnwood, WA. “Sleep Issues for Shift Workers.”
- 48th Annual Northwest Leadership Seminar, March 2017, Portland, OR. “Managing Officer Fatigue at the Individual and Organizational Levels.”
- Justice Reinvestment Summit and What Works in Public Safety Conference, February 2017, Salem, OR. “Enhanced CIT: The Evolution of Crisis Intervention Training.”
- Interservice/Industry Training Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), November 2016, Orlando, FL. “Novel Process for Developing Metrics That Measure What Police Do.”
- Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), November 2016, Chelan, WA. ““Novel Process for Developing Metrics That Measure What Police Do.”
- National Conference on Officer Wellness and Trauma, Concerns of Police Survivors, November 2016, Grapevine, TX. “The Alertness Edge: Managing the Effects of Sleep Loss and Shift Work on Officer Performance, Health, and Safety.”
- International Association of Chief of Police (IACP) Annual Conference, October 2016, San Diego, CA. “The Alertness Edge: Managing the Effects of Sleep Loss and Shift Work on Officer Driving Performance.”
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) Summit on Trending Issues in Policing, September 2016, Glynco, GA. “Novel Process for Developing Metrics That Measure What Police Do.”
- CIT Regional Conference, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, September 2016, Tacoma, WA. “Resilience: 1st Responders and their Agencies”
- MoDOT Traffic and Highway Safety Division, Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Advisory Council (LETSAC) Conference, July 2016, Lake Ozark, MO. “The Alertness Edge: Managing the Effects of Sleep Loss and Shift Work on Officer Performance, Health, and Safety.”
- U.S. Department of Defense Human Factors Engineering Technical Advisory Group (DoD HFETAG) Meeting 70, May 2016, NASA Langley Research Center, VA. “Rapid Development of Precise Metrics for Human Performance Assessment.”
- Crisis Intervention Team International, April 2016, Chicago, IL. “Enhanced CIT: The Evolution of Crisis Intervention Training.”
- Major City Chiefs Association Winter meeting, February 2016, San Antonio, TX. “The Human Element in 21st Century Policing: Managing the Effects of Sleep Loss and Shift Work on Officer Performance, Health, and Safety.”
- International Association of Chief of Police (IACP) Annual Conference, October 2015, Chicago, IL. “Reducing Force and Building Community Trust by Adopting Crisis Intervention and Social Interaction Training.”
- Oregon CJIS Users Workshop, October 2015, Seaside, OR. “The Alertness Edge: Managing the Effects of Sleep Loss Personnel Performance, Health, and Safety.”
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Division, Human Systems Integration, Community of Practice Briefing, September 2015, Washington, D.C. (remote). “Fatigue and Operational Performance: Results from Novel Experiments with Police Subjects.”
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Division briefing, August 2015, Washington, D.C.. “Translating Novel Research Tools into Better Police Critical Operational Task Training.”
- U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative (DPSI) briefing, August 2015, The Pentagon, D.C.. “Impact of Operational Fatigue and Shift Work on Police Critical Job Task Performance.”
- California Highway Patrol – All Commanders Workshop, September 2014, Sacramento CA. “Managing Officer Fatigue.”
- Orange County Peace Officers’ Association, February 2014, Irvine CA. “The Impact of Sleep and Other Stressors on Law Enforcement Health and Safety.”
- ONR Biomedical Program Review, August 2013, Arlington VA. “Impact of Operational Fatigue on Deadly Force Decision Making, Driving, Cognition and Tactical Social Interaction.”
- Sleep, June 2013, Baltimore, MD. “Interactions Between Police Officer Deadly Force Judgment and Decision Making, Work Shift and Fatigue.”
- PORAC Symposium, April 2013, Reno, NV. “TIRED COPS: What Research Tells Us About Managing Fatigue.”
- ACJS, March 2013, Dallas, TX. “Impact of Fatigue and Distraction on Police Operational Driving Preliminary Findings.”
- CA POST SAFE Driving Symposium, October 2012, San Diego, CA. “Fatigue and the Effects on Performance.”
- International Association of Chief of Police (IACP) Annual Conference, October 2012, San Diego, CA, “Tired and Distracted Police Drivers: 5 Things to Remember.”
- ASC, November 2011, Washington, D.C.. 1) “Driving Training, Law Enforcement Collisions and Simulation;” 2) “Terminal: An Analysis of Fatal Police Vehicle Accidents Related to Departmental Policy for Use of Mobile Data Terminals;” 3) “The Relevance of the Psychology of Terrorist Organizations on Community Oriented Policing Strategies.”
- ASC, November 2010, San Francisco, CA. “Beyond Our Boundaries: The Inclusivity of Criminal Justice Sciences.”
Peer-Reviewed Papers
- Alison, A., Tiesman, H.M., Wong, I.S., Bernzweig, D., James, L., James, S.M., Navarro, K.M. & Patterson, D. (2022) Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23407
- James, L., Caruso, C.C., & James, S.M. (2022) Pilot test of NIOSH training for law enforcement on shift work and long work hours’. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 64(7), 599-606. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002534
- Lynch, G., James, S.M., Cardon, T. & McPherson, S. (2022) Sensitivity and specificity of pupillary light reflex measures for ASD using monocular pupillometry. Neurological Sciences, 43, 4537-4545. doi.org/10.1007/s10072-022-05976-2
- Wilson, M.*, Brown, N.*, James, L., James, S.M., Stevens, K., Butterfield, P. (2022). Psychometric evaluation of the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument in a population of working nurses. Journal of Nursing Measurement. *shared first author doi.org/10.1891/jnm-d-20-00083
- James, L., James, S.M., Wilson, M., Brown, N., Dotson, E., Edwards, C., Butterfield, P. (2020). Sleep health and predicted cognitive effectiveness of nurses working 12-hour shifts: an observational study. International Journal of Nursing Studies. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103667
- James, S.M., James, L., Dotson, L. (2020) Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Police Department’s Early Intervention System. Journal of Experimental Criminology. doi:10.1007/s11292-019-09397-8
- James, L., James, S. M., & Dotson, E. (2019). Using Interval-Level Metrics to Investigate Situational, Suspect, and Officer-Level Predictors of Police Performance During Encounters with the Public. Police Quarterly. doi:10.1177/1098611119857559
- James, L., James, S. (2019) The Development and Testing of a Simulation-Based Implicit Bias Training Platform. Police Chief, November 2019.
- Gunzelmann, G., James, S. M., & Caldwell, J. (2019). Basic and applied science interactions in fatigue understanding and risk mitigation. In H. P. Van Dongen, P. Whitney, J. M. Hinson, K. A. Honn, & M. W. Chee (Eds.), Progress in Brain Research Volume 246: Sleep Deprivation and Cognition (pp. 177-204). Cambridge, MA: Academic Press. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.03.022
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2018). Testing the impact of citizen characteristics and demeanor on police officer behavior in potentially violent encounters. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 41(1), 24-40. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-11-2016-0159
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2018). The Impact of Work Shift and Fatigue on Police Officer Response in Simulated Interactions with Citizens. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 11, 111-120. doi:10.1007/s11292-017-9294-2
- Vila, B., James, S. M., & James, L. (2018). How Police Officers Perform in Encounters with the Public: Measuring What Matters at the Individual Level. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 41(2), 215-232. doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-11-2016-0166
- James, L., & James, S. M. (2017). Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) metrics: a novel method of measuring police performance during encounters with people in crisis. Mental Health Addiction Research, 2(4), 2-4. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.15761/MHAR.1000143” doi:10.15761/MHAR.1000143
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2017). Does the “reverse racism effect” withstand the test of police officer fatigue? Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 40(2), 184-196. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-01-2016-0006” doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-01-2016-0006
- James, S. M., Honn, K., Gaddameedhi, S., & Van Dongen, H. P. (2017). Shift Work: Disrupted Circadian Rhythms and Sleep – Implications for Health and Well-Being. Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 3(2), 104-112. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1007/s40675-017-0071-6” doi:10.1007/s40675-017-0071-6
- Lynch, G. T., James, S. M., & VanDam, M. (2017). Pupillary Response and Phenotype in ASD: Latency to Constriction Discriminates ASD from Typically Developing Adolescents. Autism Research, Early Access. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1002/aur.1888” doi:10.1002/aur.1888
- James, L., James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2016). The reverse racism effect: are cops more hesitant to shoot black suspects? Criminology and Public Policy, 15(2), 457-479. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12187” doi:10.1111/1745-9133.12187 & HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12483” doi:10.1111/1745-9133.12483
- James, S. M. (2015). Distracted Driving Impairs Police Patrol Officer Driving Performance. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3), 505-516. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0030” doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0030
- James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2015). Police Drowsy Driving: Predicting Fatigue-Related Performance Decay. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3), 517-538. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0033” doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0033
- Wolfe, S. E., Rojek, J., Alpert, G., Tiesman, H., & James, S. M. (2015). Characteristics of Officer-Involved Vehicle Collisions in California. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(3), 458-477. HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0029” doi:10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0029
- Johnson, R. R., Stone, B. T., Miranda, C. M., Vila, B., James, L., James, S. M., . . . Berka, C. (2014). Identifying psychophysiological indices of expert versus novice performance in deadly force judgment and decision making. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8(512). HYPERLINK “doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00512” doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00512
- Winser, M. A., Hinson, J. M., James, S. M., Vila, B., Whitney, P., & Van Dongen, H. P. (2014). Fatigue During Deadly Force Decision-Making: Measuring Skin Conductance Response During Simulations. Sleep-Wake Research in The Netherlands, 25, 81-84.
- James, S. M., & Vila, B. (2012). Driven to Distraction. The Journal Of California Law Enforcement, 46(2), 14-18.
Selected Media
- New York Times, 09/24/2022, The School Shooting Is Fake. Can It Prepare an Officer for a Real One?
- Police 1 & Fire Rescue 1, 11/01/21, Sleep: The most important hack for your job and life
- KHQ Q6, 10/7/21, 360: Highlighting the effects of working long shifts during odd hours
- Freakonomics, 07/07/21, Nap Time for Everyone! (Ep. 468)
- EMS 1, 05/10/21, The “F” word in public safety
- Inside EM, 10/09/20, Tactical Napping: EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence
- Police 1: Policing Matters Podcast, 09/04/2020, Dead tired: fighting fatal fatigue in law enforcement
- CNN, 07/29/20, Facing the Realities of Racism: Unconscious Bias, mms.tveyes.com/mediaview/
- USA Today, 06/22/2020, Fractured skulls, lost eyes: Police break their own rules when shooting protesters with ‘rubber bullets’ usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/06/19/police-break-rules-shooting-protesters-rubber-bullets-less-lethal-projectiles/3211421001/
- The Spokesman-Review, 06/21/2020, Spokane County undersheriff received suspension for saying ‘ex-wives should be killed’, spokesman.com/stories/2020/jun/21/spokane-county-undersheriff-received-suspension-fo/
- The Spokesman-Review, 06/09/2020, Rules of engagement: Spokane leader wants clear guidelines for protests, spokesman.com/stories/2020/jun/09/rules-of-engagement-spokane-leader-wants-clear-gui
- The Spokesman-Review, 06/04/2020, Make space for protest but stay in control: Experts say police must balance both in situations like the one that erupted Sunday in Spokane, spokesman.com/stories/2020/jun/04/make-space-for-protest-but-stay-in-control-experts
- Behind the Shield podcast jamesgeering.com/podcast/2020/2/1/episode-275-steve-james
- Excellence in Training Academy, Creating Metrics for Objectively Measuring Police Officer Performance, Excellence in Training Academy
- The Daily Herald, Cops are the most sleep deprived workers in America that’s bad news in the suburbs too 10/11/2019 dailyherald.com/news/20191011/cops-are-the-most-sleep-deprived-workers-in-america-thats-bad-news-in-the-suburbs-too
- Police Shootings: The Data and the Damage Done, Science Vs, Gimlet, 11/21/2019 gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/kwh2g9/police-shootings-the-data-and-the-damage
- Bias, A Finish Line Features, LLC and Unleashed Productions, Inc Film biasfilm.com/
- Daily Herald, 01/12/2018, Are police behind the wheel as distracted as the rest of us? dailyherald.com/news/20180112/are-police-behind-the-wheel-as-distracted-as-the-rest-of-us
- NPR, 12/08/2016, Morning Edition, npr.org/2016/12/08/504718239/military-trained-police-may-be-slower-to-shoot-but-that-got-this-vet-fired
- Al Jazeera America, Ali Velshi On Target , 12/06/2015, ‘Under the Gun’, america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/Ali-Velshi-On-Target
- King 5 News, 05/07/2015, Distracted Driving Dangers a Focus of WSU Lab’s Work, king5.com/story/news/local/investigations/2015/05/07/distracted-driving-wsu-spokane-lab/70972944/
- The Spokesman-Review, 12/16/2014, Feds Set to Announce Police Review Results, spokesman.com/stories/2014/dec/16/feds-set-to-announce-police-review-results
- Channel 9 News (Australia), 09/30/2014, Police Use of Force (video available on request)
- KXLY, 09/17/2014, WSU, Spokane Police Collaborate on Multi-Year Research Project, kxly.com/news/spokane-news/28115170
- CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 08/28/2014, Preparing Police for Confrontation, ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2014/08/28/preparing-police-for-confrontation