Researchers examined police encounter data to understand the impact of perceived gender on searches and arrests. A study found that individuals perceived as transgender or gender nonconforming face higher rates of searches and arrests. This disparity is evident in data collected under a state law that requires officers to record their perceptions of individuals during stops.

The study's findings are based on an analysis of data from pedestrian and vehicle stops. Officers' subjective perceptions of a person's gender influence their likelihood of being searched or arrested. Further details on the study's methodology and results are available from the researchers at the Williams Institute and the University of California.