Brief

The Effect of Police and Public Entanglements on Arrests of Transgender People

December 2025

This study examines data from all police stops of adults by California law enforcement agencies in 2023 to explore how public reports of suspicious or criminal activity influence interactions with police for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. It was published in Context in December 2025.

AUTHORS
Highlights
TGNC-perceived people were twice as likely to be stopped by police after calls for service.
TGNC-perceived people were less likely to be stopped because they matched a suspect description.
TGNC-perceived adults matching a suspect description faced greater risk of arrest after a call for service.
Data Points
4.5 million
traffic or pedestrian stops of adults were made by police in California in 2023
8%
were initiated by calls for service

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The Effect of Police and Public Entanglements on Arrests of Transgender People