This study examines the early implementation of Project SCOPE, an “untethered” police–social outreach co-response program within the transit police in Philadelphia. Unlike traditional models that embed outreach workers with police, SCOPE deploys social service teams independently while retaining access to police only when necessary. We document how the model functioned in practice during its 27-week pilot phase, focusing on engagement levels, service uptake, fidelity to deployment, and reliance on police support.
The study draws on 27 weeks of randomized station-level deployments across seven high-need transit stations on Philadelphia's Market–Frankford subway/elevated line. Outreach teams operated 16 h per day, six days per week, with station assignments randomized weekly. We analyze daily tracker logs documenting the number and nature of outreach engagements, service referrals, and police calls for assistance, as well as fidelity measures capturing adherence to assigned shifts and treatment dosage across stations.
SCOPE teams conducted 12,196 engagements with vulnerable individuals, with service acceptance rising early before later fluctuation. Police were requested in only 2.62% of engagements, demonstrating minimal law enforcement reliance. Although deployment fidelity varied due to staffing constraints, outreach teams consistently delivered services at scale, indicating strong implementation feasibility.
Findings demonstrate the feasibility of an untethered co-response model operating largely independent of police while maintaining safety. The pilot, however, focused only on implementation, not outcomes. Future research should examine whether SCOPE produces measurable impacts.
SCOPE shows that outreach teams can safely lead crisis response in transit settings with minimal police involvement, offering a resource-efficient alternative to traditional co-response models.
The model promotes care-centered, non-enforcement engagement with vulnerable populations, reducing criminalization risks while improving access to housing, treatment, and health services in public spaces.
This study provides the first empirical assessment of an untethered co-response model in a major US transit system, advancing evidence beyond traditional police-embedded approaches.
