A grassroots movement has pushed to the surface that law enforcement should not be the first or primary response to mental health crisis — and the movement is winning the public debate. On this episode, a dive into Oakland’s Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) Program — a community response program for non-violent, non-emergency 911 calls. The intention of MACRO is to meet the needs of the community with a compassionate care first response model grounded in empathy, service, and community. MACRO’s goal is to reduce responses by police, resulting in fewer arrests and negative interactions, and increased access to community-based services and resources for impacted individuals and families, and most especially for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We are joined by Elliott Jones, MACRO’s program coordinator who works within the Oakland Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services Division.

Follow Elliott Jones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrelliottjones

MACRO’s website: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/macro-mobile-assistance-community-responders-of-oakland

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