We asked Oakland businesses if MACRO helps them. Many had never heard of it

"The Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland program, known as MACRO, launched in 2022 with the goal of diverting non-emergency calls from the police department to teams of trained civilians who respond to nonviolent 911 calls involving unhoused people and people experiencing mental health crises or substance use disorders, and offer them services. MACRO's effectiveness hinges in large part on whether Oakland residents are aware that they can call on the service."

"The Oaklandside recently visited four busy commercial districts - Grand Lake, Lakeshore, Fruitvale, and Dimond - to see how many businesses know about MACRO and have called on its team for help. Turns out, not many. The majority of people we interviewed said they had never heard of MACRO before we asked them about it. Some said they had seen MACRO vans or teams in passing, but did not know they were part of a city-funded program."

MACRO launched in 2022 to divert non-emergency calls from police to trained civilian teams that respond to nonviolent 911 calls involving unhoused people, mental health crises, and substance use disorders, and to offer services. Effectiveness depends on resident and business awareness of the service. Retail shops along busy commercial corridors could benefit when nonviolent disturbances affect staff and customers. Field observations in Grand Lake, Lakeshore, Fruitvale, and Dimond found low business awareness; many had seen vans but did not recognize the program or find contact information on the vehicles. Businesses that have called reported generally prompt, helpful responses.

Read at The Oaklandside