Gypsy cop

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In law enforcement, the phrase gypsy cop is slang for an itinerant lawman, a peace officer who floats from department to department regardless of, or because of, misconduct or poor job performance.

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. There are many other examples of gypsy cops, though, often associated with smaller departments and drug task forces funded by the federal Byrne grant program.