The Future of Transit-Based Crisis Response: Insights from Project SCOPE’s Implementation and Impact

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

With declining public transit ridership due to remote work, coupled with the suspension of fare enforcement during the pandemic, vulnerable populations—including individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and mental illness—have become increasingly visible on transit systems. In Philadelphia, where crime, drug use, and homelessness have further impacted transit usage, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) implemented SCOPE, an innovative program nationally recognized for addressing these challenges. SCOPE (Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership, Engagement), is a modified co-response model in which outreach workers independently engage vulnerable individuals and connect them with social services, with the option to request police assistance when necessary. As evaluators of SCOPE, we conceptualize the program as an application of Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT), a model designed to provide sustained, multidisciplinary support to individuals with complex needs. Our analyses use this framework to contextualize the work of SCOPE outreach teams, highlighting their role as functionally independent crisis responders. This panel will present findings from a randomized controlled trial (2022–2024) assessing SCOPE’s impact, alongside qualitative interviews with outreach workers. The implications of these findings will be discussed within the broader discourse on police co-response models and alternative approaches to public health challenges in transit settings.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 43. Police Strategies, Interventions, and Evaluations

Individual Presentations

• Reimagining Police Co-Response: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Project SCOPE in Philadelphia - Robert J. Kane, Drexel University; Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University; Matthew Teti, University of Houston-Downtown

• Implementing Project SCOPE: Analyzing Organizational Adaptation and Co-Response in Transit Policing - Matthew Teti, University of Houston-Downtown; Nili Gesser, Drexel University; Robert J. Kane, Drexel University; Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University

• From Experience to Expertise: Outreach Workers' Lived Experience as an Asset in Philadelphia's Transit Intervention - Nili Gesser, Drexel University; Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University; Matthew Teti, University of Houston-Downtown; Robert J. Kane, Drexel University

Discussant

• Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University