The Romani (Roma) and Travellers have been the subject of discrimination and discriminatory practices for centuries. Known colloquially as “gypsies,” Romani and Traveller groups are an ethnicity unto themselves and do not deserve to be singled out and lumped into a category like criminals. Government funded agencies are employing training groups who’s purpose is to criminalize this entire ethnicity and promote Romaphobia within those agencies.
  Groups like The Gryphon Training Group are allowed to provide trainings labeling “…The Roma, The Travelers, The Polish, The Yugoslavians…”(PD flyer here) under a criminal umbrella that could jeopardize the safety of those communities at large by painting the entire ethnic group in a negative light.
  At a time when racial and ethnic tensions are at an all time high, groups like The Gryphon Training Group and Police Departments such as the Kansas City Missouri Police Department who promote, participate in, and facilitate these trainings must be held accountable. We do not legally and must not generalize and discriminate against other ethnic groups in the United States, therefore, we need to make our voices heard; this is not okay to do with Romani (Roma) and Traveller groups. Stereotypes and anti “gypsy” propaganda must stop now.