[5][6][7][8][9][10] In use since the 1980s,[11] the phrase entered public parlance in the 2000s 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.
Some dictionaries recommend against using the word gypsy as a modifier with negative connotations, because such use could be considered a slur against the Romani people.
That may be because of a smaller population to recruit from, lower pay, limited training and growth potential, less exciting police activity and even less prestige.
In other cases, small agencies with limited budgets may fear a costly lawsuit if they dismiss an officer through a formal disciplinary process.
Attempts to report problem officers by agencies can be overruled and overturned by administrative law hearings and actions.