FEATURED AUTHOR
CRAIG S. MEISSNER

I have always been interested in the history of political espionage, government agents, and spies. Similarly, I have always been intrigued by the devices employed by such units as the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Cold War era. I have been collecting exotic weapons, particularly antique firearms, for as long as I can remember. I grew up around guns, spending whole summers in upstate New York hunting, camping, and fishing. I also played football and hockey as a kid, and I devoted many years to studying jujitsu. But any time I had outside of these sporting and athletic pursuits was spent with my nose in a book, reading and researching military history.

Therefore, it came as no surprise to anyone when I entered the U.S. Army at only 17 years old. Three days after my 17th birthday, I was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, starting my basic training. Even then, I knew I would ultimately end up in a career in law enforcement. I was an MP in the army, stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and Fort Meade, Maryland. I served a total of two years active and six years reserve. While in the reserves, I also competed on my battalion's pistol team.

On October 15, 1990, I was appointed to the New York City Police Department (NYPD). As a working cop, I studied criminology and police science at New York Institute of Technology and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Empire State College. But the most valuable thing I ever learned about police work was a piece of advice I received from one of the veteran police officers as a rookie. (I wish I could remember who it was so I could give him proper credit.) "A good cop is a curious cop," he told me. "Always satisfy your curiosity and check things out." I've always had a natural curiosity, and I still read and study everything I can get my hands on. If I run across something on the job, I research it thoroughly so I'm informed as to what I'm dealing with. I plan to pursue a Master's degree in public administration starting next fall. For the future, I'm leaning toward becoming a teacher but would also like to pursue writing full time.

When I'm not working or studying, I enjoy spending time with my family. My wife, Michele, and I have four sons: Andrew, Zachary, Dylan, and Brandon. We all love traveling and sightseeing and have visited many parts of the United States and Canada.

During my 12-year career, which has included assignments as a patrol officer, robbery investigator, correctional officer, field training sergeant, patrol sergeant, and gang enforcement team supervisor, I've seen just about everything and had a few close calls. When I first got into free-lancing 5 years ago, I began writing pieces on officer survival and police tactics for high-risk patrol. Even before the events of September 11, I sensed that there was a need for a book on covert weapons. (In fact, I contracted with Paladin to publish Disguised Weapons in November 2000.) I knew that the information would benefit not only police and correctional officers but court officers, airport security personnel, and defense-minded civilians as well. In addition to drawing upon my personal experience in the field, Disguised Weapons is a compilation of two years of in-depth research on the subject.

Considering the heightened state of awareness in the aftermath of 9/11, I find it surprising that more police departments and law enforcement agencies do not provide training in the area of disguised weapons. Recent events have shown all of us the hazardous potential of such items--whether employed by international terrorists, domestic terrorists, or any other members of the criminal element – and the grave threat they pose to lawful institutions. If we as a nation are to have any kind of real security, police and security personnel must learn what to look for. It is my sincere hope that Disguised Weapons will help them, and thereby help our citizens as well.

Q & A

Paladin: You've received more than 50 individual medals for bravery in your 12-year career – quite an awe-inspiring track record. Can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding some of them?
Meissner: Well, there was the time a parolee tried to bribe us with $1,200 and nine guns, including a machine gun, in a desperate ploy to keep himself out of jail. He brought us to his place to pick everything up. When he learned he was being arrested for bribery, he pulled a .45 on us in an attempt to escape. There was also the time we rescued seven people from a burning building and a section of the wall fell on me, burning my uniform and my arm. Another time, while we were attempting to serve family court papers on a young man, he attacked us with a sawed-off shotgun. We later learned that he was wanted for numerous convenience store robberies. He thought we were there to arrest him, but we didn't even know. That's how it is with police work. Oftentimes, your day is eight hours of normalcy followed by five minutes of life-threatening action.

Paladin: You've worn many hats in your law-enforcement career. What line of police work do you enjoy the most?
Meissner: I have always enjoyed patrol. There is always something new and different going on, and it keeps you busy.

Paladin: What is your assignment now?
Meissner: I'm a patrol supervisor. I like it because it is still patrol. It has the same elements I enjoyed as a patrolman but with added responsibilities. It is more difficult to get a day off as a sergeant on patrol, however.

Paladin: Were you working on 9/11?
Meissner: Yes. Actually, I was off that day, but shortly after the plane hit the second tower, the call went out for every officer in the city to report for duty. After that, I spent 40 days straight at Ground Zero. We didn't go home. We just worked as many hours as we could, caught a few hours of sleep, and got up and went back to work. It was very intense.

Paladin: What can you tell us about your recollections of that day?
Meissner: When I arrived at the site of the World Trade Center I was awestruck. Like everyone else, I couldn't believe the towers were gone. Dust and debris covered everything, giving the entire area a gloomy, gray appearance. It looked like we had landed on the moon. It was total chaos.

Paladin: How have the dynamics of the city and the job changed since?
Meissner: The entire city has responded to this attack by acting more alert. There is definitely an awareness now that there are bad people out there who are intent on doing us harm. But as I see it, there is a lot of lip service, and little in the way of real substance, being given to the idea of beefed-up security. As far as the police department itself goes, the biggest change is that we are posting personnel in more areas. Most residents understand the need for more security and want it, so they just deal with the checkpoints and such. Unfortunately, most police officers are not adequately equipped to deal with this kind of security duty, nor are they knowledgeable about the kinds of things they need to be searching for. Surprisingly, police officers receive little to no formal training in the area of disguised weapons, so most are perilously ill-informed as to the kinds of items that are lurking out there in the hands of criminals and would-be terrorists and how to spot them and then recover them safely and effectively. There is definitely a push for increased officer training.

Paladin: What steps can police departments take to better protect their citizens?
Meissner: They need to issue better equipment to the officers (including Nuclear Biological Chemical masks and suits) and provide training in specialized areas pertaining to minimizing the terrorist threat.

Paladin: Do you think police officers have become more vigilant in general?
Meissner: Absolutely. Everyone is well aware that another attack could take place, and so every call is handled accordingly. Suspicious packages and individuals are not treated lightly.

Paladin: Do you find that you, as a police officer, are viewed/treated differently by the public since 9/11?
Meissner: Yes. In the aftermath of 9/11, everyone pitched in and helped out. Now, many more people express their gratitude--and their empathy as well. One incident in particular that stands out in my mind is the time my buddies and I pulled up to a diner in Queens shortly after the attacks. When we walked in, everyone in the restaurant stood up and applauded. It was really something. It's been kind of nice for us, the level of support we've received from people. And in most areas of the city it has not let up.

DISGUISED WEAPONS
The Law Enforcement Guide to Covert Guns, Knives, and Other Weapons