A zone outside of Philadelphia-based Penn Presbyterian Medical Center is now designated for police transporting gunshot wound victims, according to The Inquirer.
A sign reading "Police Emergency Drop-Off Here" is posted outside the medical center's Level 1 trauma center. A yellow line and words stating "Police Drop Off" are painted near the ER to section off the lane.
A spokesperson from Penn Medicine, the umbrella company of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, told The Inquirer, "There are multiple entrances to the emergency department at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and this signage ensures that patients are brought to the ambulance bay where our trauma team is best equipped to quickly care for them."
Philadelphia is one of the few cities where police transport stabbing and shooting victims to hospitals rather than waiting for an ambulance. The practice, called "scoop and run," has been a factor in lowering Philadelphia's homicide rate, according to the report. The city has seen 500-plus shootings this year, up 8 percent from the same time in 2017.
The Philadelphia Police Department declined The Inquirer's request for comment on the drop-off lane, stating the program cannot be adequately assessed because it is too new.
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