Susan Bartelstone, Crime Prevention Specialist, Podcaster, Writer
MEET SUSAN: A nationally-recognized Crime Prevention Specialist (ISCPP), award-winning podcaster and writer with thousands of articles and posts bearing her byline, Susan Bartelstone has more than 30 years’ experience teaching people how to stay safe (along the way defusing five dangerous criminal encounters and fighting off a surprise attacker). She’s appeared in such media as Yahoo Homepage, Mainstreet.com, Time Out New York, Self magazine, the NYC Marathon Pre-Show, America’s Most Wanted and The Today Show; and guested on numerous podcasts including Satellite Sisters Radio Show and Rape Declaration Forum.
Now, she’s using her expertise to curate a Crime Prevention Store with truly life-saving products that can help people reduce risk, increase safety and heal from the trauma of rape and assault.
Polished Speaker, Sought-After Media Guest
Entertainment with purpose. Susan Bartelstone is a highly experienced, highly credentialed Crime Prevention and Personal Safety Specialist and an expert at presenting a sober subject from an optimistic perspective while giving life-saving information.
Topics that attract an audience and start conversations. Over the years she’s been interviewed on (or written about) a wide range of crime prevention topics including rape and sexual assault prevention, domestic violence, home safety, elder abuse, ID theft, medical Identity theft and scam avoidance. Her most requested interview topics are highlighted below.
At Ease on Air. An experienced interviewee, and host of her own radio show for four years, she’s not afraid to be who she is in front of an audience: intelligent, intense, slightly kooky, slightly awkward, passionately sincere. She’s the friend you confide in over coffee, your neighbor down the block, your office co-worker. She laughs and cries with listeners and addresses the questions that THEY are asking around their dinner tables. If feasible, listeners can be encouraged to call in with comments or requests for assistance.
Savvy about social media. Susan has followers on several social media platforms where she posts regularly. She’s adept at promoting an interview to help attract listeners to your show (or readers to your pages).
Most Requested Interview Topics
(Interview Timing: 15 minutes to 45 minutes including Q&A time)
Fight Smart: Use Your Brains Instead of Your Muscles! Simple Dirty Fighting Techniques You Can Learn in Seconds and Save Your Life (A real game-changer topic.)
Crime Prevention 101: Top 10 Tips for Keeping Yourself Safe! Or Top 25 Tips (for longer interviews)
The Spirit of a 6’ Tall Man in the Body of a 5’ Tall Woman: Finding Your Inner Warrior and Fighting to Win
*Talking points and digital image provided.
Talking the talk because she’s walked the walk! When Susan Bartelstone was 19, she had a bad break-up with a guy, complete with physical and emotional bruises, and determined to learn how to protect herself. Today, she’s a nationally-known Crime Prevention Specialist with 17 years of self defense training and 30+ years’ experience lecturing and teaching safety skills to thousands of people from corporations, government agencies and community groups.
Along the way, she deterred five dangerous criminal encounters, fought her way out of a surprise attack, authored a well-received book (Think Fast and Prevent a Violent Crime: How to Respond to Danger in 20 Seconds (or Less!)), hosted an award-winning radio show (Crime Prevention 101, VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network), and, more importantly, helped countless people solve their personal safety dilemmas.
These days, she’s a podcaster and freelance writer with over 1,000 articles, tips and blog posts bearing her byline in both print and digital platforms such as Yahoo Home Page, MainStreet.com and Time Out New York magazine. Her signature topics include sexual assault, self defense, domestic violence, home safety, internet safety, elder safety and scam avoidance.
She’s also been featured in a long and varied list of media including the Today Show, Self and Shape magazines, the Satellite Sisters Radio Show plus numerous other radio shows and podcasts.
*Bio Highlights
Certifications: Certified International Crime Prevention Practitioner, International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners (ISCPP); Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Long Island Association of Crime Prevention Officers.
Experience: 17 years combined training in World War II Combatives, Police Defensive Tactics and Martial Arts.
Expert Witness: Testified as an expert before the New York State Senate Crime and Corrections Committee and the New York State Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations; and, as a founding member of the New York State Personal Defense Coalition, testified at two Joint Legislative Hearings regarding the legalization of Pepper Spray in New York State (which led to ultimate passage of the bill after fourteen years of failure).
Advocacy Initiatives: Served on four NYC rape prevention/domestic violence taskforces and as a Guest Participant on the prestigious New York State Governor’s Taskforce on Rape and Sexual Assault.
Tributes: Honored for her advocacy work by UN Women—UNSNC NYC, Virginia Guildersleeve International Fund and the Violence Intervention Program.
