The City of Oakland is exploring an alternative model of crisis intervention that seeks to improve community safety while reducing police-civilian interactions. The Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) is a community response program for nonviolent crisis intervention through which civilian workers respond to behavioral health crises, issues related to homelessness, and other needs throughout the city. Modeled after the successful CAHOOTS mobile crisis intervention program in Eugene, Oregon, MACRO aims to reduce police use of force incidents by diverting non-emergency calls from the Oakland Police Department to MACRO civilian workers, who help de-escalate nonviolent crises and connect people with appropriate resources and community-based services. The MACRO program, which has been housed within the Oakland Fire Department since the 18-month pilot launched in April 2022, has made at least 13,236 contacts with community members. As of June 2023, 1,225 (9 percent) of these interactions have come from 911 dispatchers. By March 2023, civilian workers have distributed 2,375 blankets to unhoused community members, 3,579 bottles of water, and conducted 1,514 referrals to local service providers. Further refinement and evaluation of the program can build on this promising approach. Learn more.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023