In law enforcement in the United States, the phrase gypsy cop is slang for a police officer who frequently transfers between police departments, often because of misconduct or poor job performance.
Video Gypsy cop
Hiring process
Some smaller agencies often have an easier hiring process, involving only a brief interview with the mayor or chief and then a limited background investigation (fingerprint and criminal record checks), drug screen test, and physical exam. Major municipal, state and federal law enforcement agencies may have a competitive waiting list for applicants that requires a written aptitude examination with a minimum score that is given only a few times a year. These agencies generally also have a hiring process that can take 6-12 months, and can disqualify a candidate at any step in the process. This may include a credit history check, an exhaustive criminal and personal background check going back to age 16, psychological screening, polygraph, physical strength and agility testing and a comprehensive interview panel. In some cases, even already certified officers are required to redo basic law enforcement training, either partly or in full, followed by a 3-6 month field training program, with a certified, veteran field training officer. Officers with a history of moving from agency to agency, especially in short or frequent intervals, are closely scrutinized and often rejected as applicants in larger agencies for the very reason of moving around too much, an indicator of a lack of stable work history. Inversely, some smaller agencies in affluent communities, may be more difficult to obtain employment with and may experience very little turnover.
Maps Gypsy cop
Causes
Fragmentation
The United States has a highly decentralized and fragmented system of law enforcement, with around 17,000 law enforcement agencies, and is regulated separately in the 50 states, plus US territories, the federal and local level as well. Hiring and disciplinary standards vary greatly between police departments, the majority of which are small in size. There is no national database of dismissed officers, who may or may not be decertified to practice law enforcement by their jurisdictioal regulatory agency, often called POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) agencies, or by a similar agency. Some states have established a state-level database or taken other administrative measures to try to prevent dismissed officers from being rehired, but these databases are not centralized, nor do they have uniform prerequisites. The large population and land area of the country makes it further harder to notice these cases; an officer may have moved hundreds of miles away to join another agency and the new agency would be unlikely to have learned of the case in the media.
Incentives for hiring unsuitable staff
Gypsy cops usually move from agency to agency as lateral transfers, or law enforcement officers that have already been trained and certified. Lateral transfers are often preferred over new recruits as the hiring process is simplified. Some smaller agencies knowingly hire gypsy cops because they have difficulty in recruiting suitable officers. This may be due to having a smaller population to recruit from, lower pay, limited training and growth potential, less exciting police activity and even less prestige. The vacancy of even one officer in a small agency of 5-10 officers or less can create substantial hardships on an agency that must provide 24-hour coverage to the community it serves. These agencies have a great incentive to fill the vacancy quickly, even if it means hiring someone unsuitable.
Incentives for concealing a misconduct dismissal
Problem officers are often allowed to resign in seemingly good standing and then go to another unsuspecting agency with a good recommendation from a previous chief or sheriff, who is eager to get rid of the problem officer. In other cases, small agencies with limited budgets may fear a costly lawsuit if they dismiss officer through a formal disciplinary process. An officer who is facing a misconduct dismissal will often negotiate a positive departure from an agency once they realize they can no longer continue to work there.
Most states have a consolidated retirement system for state, county and municipal peace officers, which is unaffected by transfers between agencies so long as continued employment occurs and can thus further provide incentive for both good and bad officers to move frequently between agencies.
History of the term
The phrase entered public parlance after the infamous Tulia drug stings, where itinerant lawman Tom Coleman allegedly set up innocent people, most of them black, as part of a long-term undercover operation. Several other high-profile cases in states including Texas and Alaska involved officers who served with adversity in close to 20 agencies in 15 years or less, yet they continued to evade administrative action as they went from agency to agency, sometimes serving as little as 30 days at one department, despite blatant misconduct and compelling signs of unsuitability to serve as peace officers. Police chiefs, sheriffs and other law enforcement agency heads often privately jokingly refer to the practice of giving a bad or problem officer a good recommendation to get rid of him or her as "pass the trash".
Some dictionaries recommend avoiding use of the word gypsy as a modifier with negative connotations, because such use could be considered a slur against the Romani people.
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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