My @brightonargus.bsky.social column isn't an easy read this week. Between 2011-2022, there were 242 suicides of current police officers and PCSOs in England & Wales. But there's hope in speaking up, seeking help & breaking the silence that's claimed too many good people. Read the full article here👇

"Those who keep us safe need to be kept safe themselves"

"Untreated officer mental health needs to be called out so those who keep us safe are kept safe themselves"

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What must it be like to be so scared you have to flee your country only to be met with anger where you thought you’d find sanctuary? As people are forced into seeking asylum due to the actions & inactions of politicians, I ask: are we protesting against the right people? @brightonargus.bsky.social

Protest against politicians not asylum seekers

During my last few years in the police, I was a public order Gold commander. What that meant was that, when required, I headed a team of…

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So apparently, today (1/09) is when Lee Child starts writing each new #JackReacher book – and when half the world suddenly decides they want to write one too! 😅 So why do we all get the writing bug around now & what actually separates the people who finish books from those who just talk about it?👇

Writing a book isn't (Lee) Child's play

Having been writing for around ten years and advising/ tutoring authors for the last six, there is one thing I have come to learn about the start of…

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🚨 Why hasn't UK policing had a major restructure since I was at primary school? In my latest #BartlettOnTheBeat for @brightonargus.bsky.social, I'm calling for a Royal Commission on Policing. Read why I believe we need independent, forensic examination of policing before another 65 years pass us by.

Is it time time for a Royal Commission on Policing?

When I joined Sussex Police, fifteen years after England and Wales’ last major reorganisation of policing, many of those I worked with had…

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Anyone else getting transfer window fatigue? 😴⚽️ When did buying & selling footballers become more dramatic than the actual football? This week I'm discussing how these 'windows' have turned into a circus - and poor Alexander Isak is the latest casualty. My latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social👇

It's time to get rid of transfer windows forever, says columnist

I love August. As a child I treasured the only full month of no school, and now relish a reasonable expectation of good weather and the start of the…

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#BartlettOnTheBeat this week in the @brightonargus.bsky.social – how a 19-year-old councillor turned a horrific crime against a 12-year-old girl into a political weapon, potentially jeopardising the very case meant to deliver justice for her ⤵️

A measured response to an attempt to whip up hatred

When I think I’ve seen or heard it all, the depth of some people’s arrogance and ignorance rears up to prove me wrong.

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✍️ Writing feeling like a chore? You're not alone. This Friday at 12pm I'm sharing my tips on OVERCOMING WRITERS' BURNOUT at @jerichowriters.bsky.social's WRITE THAT DRAFT BOOTCAMP. Burnout isn't weakness - it's a signal. Can't make it live? All bootcamp sessions are recorded & you can still sign up👇

Write That Draft 5-Day Bootcamp – Jericho Writers

Join our 5-day online bootcamp for expert guidance on busting though writer's block and actually finishing the first draft of your book.

jerichowriters.com

What do the Lionesses, Luke Littler & the British and Irish Lions have in common? They all mastered the art of bouncing back when everything seemed lost. This week's @brightonargus.bsky.social article explores the mindset that separates champions from the rest of us & why we should all take notes! ✍️

We should all learn a lesson from our sportspeople

If last weekend’s hectic and exhilarating sports calendar taught us anything, it is that true excellence is not only built on the training ground…

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My #BartlettOnTheBeat column for Monday's @brightonargus.bsky.social tackles one of policing's most contentious chapters. The inquiry that was promised but never delivered - and the questions that still haunt British policing today. Getting to the root of 'Battle of Orgreave'👇

This week I'm getting honest about the juggling act between writing, promoting, and actually living life. Sometimes staying home wins over hitting the road... Read why in my latest column for the @brightonargus.bsky.social👇

Discussing FOMO, the "fear of missing out"

One aspect of being an author that many don’t appreciate is that the actual writing is only part of the job. If it was then my social media…

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💔 The NHS is cutting IVF cycles from three to one. As someone who's been through infertility struggles, I know this isn't just policy - it's heartbreak. In my latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social, I share why infertility is a health, not lifestyle, issue.

"Ask me. Ask me. Ask me." Sometimes #domesticabuse victims are waiting for just one person to be curious enough to ask. My latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social on why thinking the unthinkable can help save lives👇

Why thinking the unthinkable to can help save lives, according to ex-police officer

The 1996 Roddy Doyle book, The Woman Who Walked into Doors, contains a passage which should be mandatory reading for all front-line professionals…

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Under promise, over deliver. Some call it unambitious, I call it respectful. Promising what you can actually control beats promising what sounds good. From police performance meetings to kitchen companies - the cost of broken promises is higher than you think. My @brightonargus.bsky.social latest👇

Avoiding under delivery at all costs

Those who know me might describe me as a stickler for reliability. I certainly try to be both in myself and my expectations of others. It could be…

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🚗 From the driver doing taxes at 70mph to someone eating cereal behind the wheel...I've seen it all. But these "multitasking" moments could turn deadly in seconds. Your phone notification can wait. Your breakfast can wait. Focus on driving & driving only – someone's life might depend on it.

Driving is a privilege not a right - give it your full attention

Being of a certain age and gender I am among a group of people who find multi-tasking nigh on impossible. It is the bane of my family’s life and I…

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It's #NationalCrimeReadingMonth & the eBook versions of my Jo Howe series are on offer! I explore Brighton's darker side with a copper who's seen it all. If you haven't read these yet, I promise they aren't your typical police procedurals. 🔗 in my bio #pickupapageturner @allisonandbusby.bsky.social

You are not alone and you can change your life – my latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social shares why the #mentalhealth of men matters more than ever, and why the toughest conversation you'll have might be the one that saves a life ♥️

✍️🕵🏻‍♂️ I'll be at Jubilee Library in #Brighton this Sunday for a CRIME WRITING MASTERCLASS! I'll be exploring everything from developing authentic characters to crafting those twists that keep readers up all night. Hosted by The Creative Writing Programme, we kick off at 11am. A few spots left👇

Creative writing masterclass: writing crime

This masterclass will set you firmly on your way to being a crime writer.

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Thrilled to share that @gdwrightwrites.bsky.social made it home yesterday for his birthday! 🎉 While Gary was in hospital, the @ukcrimebookclub.bsky.social & I hosted an in absentia launch for his fantastic new book INTO THE FIRE. The recording is now on YouTube & well worth a watch👇

Into The Fire (G.D. Wright) launch! Graham Bartlett, M.W. Craven, John Sutherland, Sarah J. Harris.

YouTube video by Ukcrimebook Club

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British passport = leniency? Why should it? If we demand overseas criminals feel the full weight of the law here, then why isn’t the opposite true? Laws are laws and nobody is above them. My latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social👇

Accepting one’s punishment for crimes abroad

It would be hard not to have noticed the plight of three Sussex residents currently on trial for drugs trafficking. Jon Collyer and Lisa Stocker…

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On my recent travels, I've been wrestling with the bizarre logic of tipping. Why do we tip the waiter but not the chef who actually cooked our amazing meal? Or the cleaners who stopped the restaurant from being shut down by environmental health? Spoiler: I still don't have this one figured out! 😅

To tip or not to tip? - it's a minefield

I like to think of myself as socially comfortable. Many people aren’t but I’m one of the lucky ones. However, one aspect I do wrestle with is…

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Back when I joined the police, everyone got a nickname. Mine was Mowgli - because I was so very fresh-faced. The best took thought: Wheelbarrow (only works when pushed) & ManBat (for a chap called Wayne Bruce). Wait until you see the rest! My latest for @brightonargus.bsky.social is in comments👇

52 out of 92 football managers have left their jobs this season. Who do you think is to blame - the coaches or the chairmen? And what did facing scrutiny as Brighton & Hove Divisional Commander teach me about true leadership accountability? Sometimes the buck stops everywhere but the top👇

Should police officers who fail vetting checks get the boot? After the Couzens case, public trust is critical, but I have concerns about how a new Government new ruling might be used. Holding a warrant card is a privilege but due process matters too. My latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social👇

Police vetting - sorting the wheat from the chaff

Certainly since the PC Wayne Couzens outrage, and probably before, police misconduct has been a matter of public concern. Vetting, specifically, has…

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Ever wondered why Brighton Royals appears in ITV's Grace instead of Brighton & Hove Albion? Or why authors can use real place names but TV shows often create fictional ones? Time to pull back the curtain on the fascinating world of creative licensing in books vs. screen adaptations👇

Why we change names for books and TV

The discussions over ITV’s Grace using a fictional football club name (Brighton Royals) rather than Brighton and Hove Albion, and AFCs…

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My latest #BartlettOnTheBeat in the @brightonargus.bsky.social. At 60, I've discovered old age is like the horizon - always moving just beyond reach. Plus, I'm unveiling my new author photo (the old one apparently fooled no one)! Was David Bowie right about ageing making us who we should be?👇

Old age should be like the horizon; an ever-moving destination

They say that sixty is the new forty (well, I do) and when I hit that age last summer, I genuinely did not feel any different. Well, maybe a few…

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A true hero – PC Trevor Lock survived six days as a hostage during the Iranian Embassy Siege with a hidden gun, saved an SAS soldier's life & inspired my own police career. Yet few remember his name today. Read his extraordinary story in my latest for the @brightonargus.bsky.social 💙

Paying tribute to one of policing’s forgotten heroes

The label ‘hero’ is banded freely these days, but this country lost a real one last week and few under fifty will know anything about him

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Authors, your work is being used to train AI without permission or payment. Meta's Zuckerberg personally approved downloading MILLIONS of pirated books (including mine!). The UK government might make this legal. Read my latest in the @brightonargus.bsky.social to see how authors are fighting back👇

AI development which threatens writers' copyright - By Graham Bartlett

The US current affairs magazine, The Atlantic, has had quite a week. You’ll have heard that their editor in chief was erroneously added to a group…

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Here's a #MothersDay offer you can't ignore – #BeyondTheBookFestival day passes for £30 (£5 off) with the code MOTHER5 – for this week only! I'll be there alongside some brilliant authors (check out those book covers!). Tickets at beyondthebookfestival.org or just scan that QR code thing 😁

#Writers, do you know what makes a psychopath tick? After interviewing the real thing, I've got some authentic insights for your next villain. Join Dr. GJ Williams and I at #gŵylcrimecymrufestival for CREATING A PSYCHOPATH on 26th April! Tickets👇 ticketsource.co.uk/gwylcrimecymrufestival/t-xmkxxmq

I finally got new headshots last week! Photographer, Dani Brown, used film – no instant previews, just patience. As a crime writer who asks readers to wait for plot reveals, I'd forgotten how valuable that feeling is. Have we lost something in our addiction to immediacy? @brightonargus.bsky.social

I'm going to make more of an effort to switch off

When I became a published author, I was advised to arrange for some professional publicity photos to be taken. Some of these were serious…

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