Ep. 5 Dr. Megan Martin

What would you do if your neighborhood suddenly became unsafe? In this week’s episode we sit down with Dr. Megan Martin, President of the West Side Community Organization and member of the growing Upper West Siders for Safe Streets. An uptick in local crime has caused Upper West Side residents to band together to advocate for policy that keeps us safe. Megan is an active member of the 15000+ Facebook group and advocacy organization that took action in July when the City of New York decided to house homeless men in empty hotel rooms in her Upper West Side neighborhood. With little supervision, support, or security measures in place for her new neighbors, there has been a dramatic increase in crimes of opportunity. Dr. Martin and her passionate neighbors have rallied together to demand responsible policing and safer streets for not only their neighborhood but for all of New York Neighborhoods.

More About Dr. Megan Martin

Dr. Megan Martin is an anesthesiologist with a master’s in public health and is an accidental public safety advocate. As a mom of two, Dr. Martin believes that safety should be afforded by all. She says, “The reaction of our politicians is to say that you don’t want this in YOUR backyard but really it’s that this [uptick in crime] shouldn’t be happening in anyone’s backyard.” To learn more about Megan and the issues on the Upper West Side, please see the below articles:

• https://nypost.com/2020/09/13/new-york-city-needs-more-neighborhoods-in-revolt-against-city-hall/

• https://www.city-journal.org/rising-crime-in-new-yorks-upper-west-side

• https://abc7ny.com/upper-west-side-homeless-problem-uws/6387328/

• https://nypost.com/2020/08/08/nyc-moms-fleeing-upper-west-side-amid-crime-and-chaos/

Follow the Movement:

West Side Community Organization’s mission is to advocate for a restored quality of life for residents, visitors, and the small business community and to advance safer and more compassionate policies regarding New Yorkers who are struggling with homelessness, mental illness, and drug addiction.  To stay up to date with that the West Side Community Organization is doing, follow them on twitter

Thank you for following along with The Balanced Voice. The views expressed in each episode are those of the podcast guest and do not necessarily represent the views of The Balanced Voice or Crime Stoppers of Houston.

Thank you to our Episode 5. Sponsors, Brigitte and Bashar Kalai and Hallie Vanderhider, and Sippi and Ajay Khurana.