Atlanta’s Alternative to 911 has Helped Hundreds — Now for the Hard Road Ahead

“Our current system, which we have had in place for decades, is that the police are available to respond to basically any concern,” Macias said. “And the expectation is that they will make that person disappear.”

But she says if that person is arrested for a minor offense, they’re generally released with all the same problems they had to begin with, now with the added trauma of their time in jail. Macias says that’s why a big part of PAD’s work is community education.