Grand theft ambulance: Media reports of stolen ambulances in the United States, 1980 to 2020.

Publication/Presentation Date

9-12-2024

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ambulance thefts are frequently reported in the media, particularly over the past decade, with increasing numbers of news stories on these events. Despite these media reports, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed literature describing details and themes of these events.

METHODS: We performed a structured review of media reports published between 1980 and 2020 using publicly available databases EMS1.com and Newspaper Source Plus, with keywords "stolen" and "ambulance," with filters for date range, "1980 to 2020," and location, "US." The search was limited to English language articles and duplicate reports were excluded.

RESULTS: 263 unique media reports of stolen ambulances were identified (n = 149 from EMS1.com and n = 114 from Newspaper Source Plus (NSP)). Texas (n = 19) and Pennsylvania (n = 15) had the most media-reported cases of stolen ambulances. Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Washington, District of Columbia (DC) had the fewest media-reported stolen ambulances. Most cases occurred at a hospital (n = 141), followed by theft on scene (n = 71). Males accounted for approximately two-thirds of alleged perpetrators (68 %, EMS1.com, 66 %, NSP).

CONCLUSIONS: Media reports of ambulance thefts in the US have increased in recent years, highlighting the opportunity for improved education, standard policies and procedures, and increased security countermeasures to prevent the potential injuries and economic losses associated with these events.

Volume

85

First Page

214

Last Page

216

ISSN

1532-8171

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

39293151

Department(s)

Department of Emergency Medicine

Document Type

Article

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