Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado demanded that Arapahoe County Sheriff J. Grayson Robinson rescind a Sheriff’s Office alert titled “Gypsy Scams” that could have resulted in the racial profiling of persons described by the Sheriff’s Office as “Gypsies.”
The lettter, written by Staff Attorney Sara J. Rich, was critical of the Sheriff for encouraging those who live in Arapahoe County (Aurora, Centennial, Littleton and 10 other incorporated cities and towns) to be suspicious of persons based on physical appearance, subjecting countless innocent persons to unwarranted discrimination and harassment.
The letter asked that the Sheriff retract previous comments about "Gypsy scams" and condemn discrimination based on race, ethnicity or physical appearance. The letter also demanded all Sheriff's Office records relating to "gypsies" or "gypsy scams."
ACLU news releases:
- "'Gypsy Scam' bulletin released by Arapahoe Sheriff criticized by ACLU," ACLU News Release, July 16, 2012
- "ACLU applauds Arapahoe County Sheriff's response to criticism of so-called 'Gypsy Scams,'" ACLU News Release, August 13, 2012
Media:
- “ACLU: Sheriff Department’s ‘Gypsy Scams’ Alert Will Result In Racial Profiling,” Think Progress, July 17, 2012
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“ACLU, Arapahoe County Sheriff debate mysterious "Gypsy scams" warning,” Westword, July 17, 2012
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“ACLU demands apology from Arapahoe County Sheriff for gypsy reference,” Fox 31, July 17, 2012
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“Arapahoe sheriff launches probe of ‘Gypsy Scam’ bulletin,” Colorado Community Media, July 24, 2012
