Gypsies: Hiding in America

2. How did the police interpret the lists of social security numbers and other evidence found in the young man’s apartment? How did their interpretation of this evidence differ from the Gypsy’s?
When the police found the lists of social security numbers, they immediately saw it as criminal activity. They considered the lists to be evidence of a “ring” of criminal activity, and that these numbers were being used for identity theft or fraud. This however, was not the case. Anne Sutherland wrote that in Gypsy culture, Gypsies tend to use the identities of family members and friends on purchases and in daily life as a way to keep them out of the non-Gypsy society. This is a common practice between Gypsies and has been for many centuries due to a large amount of prejudice against them. The defendant in this case did not intend on harming anyone or defrauding anyone by using their social security number, it is just common practice.