In 2016 the GRTPA expanded its external work to publicly challenge discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Travellers on a bigger scale. The GRTPA identified cases, practices and policy that could be considered as racism with the aim of making public services truly available to all on a fair and equal basis. The GRTPA is working towards making the police an attractive career option for GRT communities by working closely in the community and with other organisations.

All of our work is carried out in our spare time in additional to full time operational roles and without financial reward. The association now has over one hundred and fifty members and has active membership in over thirty of the forty three Police Forces. We also have members in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, France, Sweden, Italy and the Republic of Ireland.

Also in 2016, discriminatory practices were identified by the GRTPA in relation to Operation Liberal and were highlighted to the National Police Chief’s Council.

The GRTPA spent two years working on challenging the prejudice to implement a review in relation to Operation Liberal. Subsequently the GRTPA spoke in UK Parliament at the Women and Equalities Committee meeting and subsequently the unit was disbanded following this. The GRTPA representative took considerable risk to his career by taking on this challenge on such a scale and the longstanding campaign took up a large proportion of the GRTPA’s work from 2016-2019.