Running early: How Philadelphia’s ‘scoop and run’ practice saves lives
In Philly and Camden, many shooting victims arrive at trauma centers in the back of police vehicles. Is this "scoop and run" practice saving lives?
Listen 12:22
Police investigate a drive-by shooting in Germantown on Oct. 3, 2018. Five young men aged 19 to 23 were shot. One died. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
In 2017, one-third of Philadelphia’s shooting victims were taken to trauma centers — not in an ambulance, but in the back of a police vehicle. It’s a practice known as “scoop and run.” Philadelphia and more recently, Camden, are the only U.S. cities with high homicide rates that use it. On this episode of The Why, Elizabeth Van Brocklin, who wrote about scoop and run for The Trace in partnership with NBC10, discusses why that’s the case and whether the practice is saving lives.
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