Oakland’s NEW Non-Violent, Non-Emergency Mobile Response Team
There’s a new number to call in Oakland designed to respond to non-violent, non-emergency calls with a compassionate, care-first approach. The Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) program has hired and begun training MACRO Responders. The program aims to address the needs of the community through empathy, service, and community involvement. MACRO was initiated in March 2019 after the Oakland City Council allocated $40,000 toward research to determine the viability of implementing a program in Oakland.
Oakland encampment – photo by Thomas Hawk
MACRO was initially modeled after the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) program in Eugene, Oregon. CAHOOTS is widely acknowledged as a mobile crisis intervention program distinct from law enforcement, which has demonstrated substantial success since its establishment 31 years ago.
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According to Oakland’s page about MACRO, their hope is that the outcomes of their program would be:
- Decreased negative outcomes from law enforcement response to nonviolent 911 emergency calls, especially among Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC);
- Increased connections to community-based services for people in crisis, especially among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color;
- Redirection of MACRO-identified 911 calls to an alternative community response system;
- Reduced Oakland Police Department & Oakland Fire Department expenses and call volume related to 911 nonviolent calls involving people with behavioral health, substance use, and unsheltered individuals.
How to Contact MACRO:
Phone: (510) 44 MACRO | (510) 446-2276
Please do not call 211, 311, or 911 to get a MACRO response.
The sooner a MACRO team can initiate intervention, the greater the likelihood of successfully de-escalating the situation before it reaches a crisis point. To request MACRO assistance, individuals can call a dedicated phone number provided by the program. It’s important to confirm that the situation is non-violent, non-emergent, and outside of a dwelling or business when contacting MACRO.
You can also email the program at: MACRO@oaklandca.gov
When emailing MACRO please use this template:
· Email MACRO@oaklandca.gov
· Subject: “Request for Service @ Address/Location + Incident Type”
· Body: Description of Incident, any relevant history and if possible, a picture.
More Information about MACRO Can be Found Here
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