Photo Courtesy: Fox 5NY
NYPD Detective Tina Guerrero is a mother, wife, and just happens to be a counter-sniper dedicating her life to keeping the city safe.
Guerrero usually starts her workday at 11 p.m. so she can have the days with her children. But as an NYPD counter-sniper, she is sometimes on the other side of the clock in broad daylight for target practice.
Fox 5 sat down for an exclusive interview with this 5-foot, 1-inch married mother of three in the break room of the NYPD’s ESU Truck 10 base in Queens. Guerrero is the department’s only female counter-sniper. She insisted that the highly dangerous job in the Emergency Service Unit is fulfilling and even fun.
“It’s like a big boy’s playground, and I wanted to play in it. I was welcomed with open arms,” Guerrero said. “I’ve always been treated with the utmost respect.”
Part of the reason she gets respect is because she carries her own gear — no easy feat when the tactical vest alone is about 50 pounds and there is all kinds of other gear to carry, depending on the emergency.
For the members of the NYPD’s counter-sniper team, constant training is a must. That is why they spend a lot of time at the Rodman’s Neck firing range.