SEPTA Launches Reach Outreach Program
The program connects people facing homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges with services across the transit system.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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Do you feel safer riding transit when outreach teams patrol stations in your area?
SEPTA launched the Reach program on November 10, 2026, to connect people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges with services. The initiative operates under the SEPTA Transit Police Department through a one-year agreement with Citizens Acting Together Can Help, Inc.
Why it matters
The program aims to address safety and quality-of-life concerns across the Philadelphia transit system while helping vulnerable individuals connect with services and support. It reflects an effort to pair outreach with policing on SEPTA stations and vehicles.
The Reach program currently operates under a one-year agreement between SEPTA Transit Police and Citizens Acting Together Can Help, Inc. Outreach outcomes, numbers of individuals served, and any evaluation of the program's effectiveness were not reported.
The players
SEPTA Transit Police Department
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's police force responsible for safety on the region's transit network, which oversees the Reach program.
Citizens Acting Together Can Help, Inc.
A Philadelphia-area nonprofit organization contracted to operate the Reach outreach program under a one-year agreement with SEPTA Transit Police.
The details
Reach teams patrol SEPTA stations and vehicles, with specialists wearing purple vests who work closely with police officers. Teams offer transportation to service providers, and individuals who decline assistance are asked to leave the system.
Timeline
November 10, 2026: SEPTA launches the Reach program across the transit system.
Legal Context
Reach extends the co-responder model Philadelphia has used for homelessness and behavioral health calls into the SEPTA transit system, pairing outreach specialists with transit police. The approach contrasts with enforcement-only responses by placing service connection alongside policing on SEPTA vehicles and stations.
Riders can report safety and quality-of-life concerns anonymously through the SEPTA app or by calling Transit Police at (215) 580-8111. Passengers on SEPTA stations and vehicles may encounter Reach outreach specialists in purple vests offering help and transportation to services.
The takeaway
Riders who want to raise safety or quality-of-life concerns on SEPTA can do so anonymously through the SEPTA app. Reporting through the app or the Transit Police line is a direct way to flag conditions across the system.
Further reading
For more on how local agencies handle public safety, see Law Enforcement coverage in Philadelphia.
Live Poll
Do you feel safer riding transit when outreach teams patrol stations in your area?
