Baja California’s security secretary announced a new psychological support program for officers of the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC), the state’s main police force, after an internal assessment found that roughly three in ten officers may suffer from anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress related to their duties.
Security Secretary Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez identified those three conditions as the most common mental health disorders affecting police officers across Mexico. The program will create a dedicated Mental Health and Preventive Education Coordination unit inside the security secretariat. That unit will employ psychologists who will provide both individual and group therapy sessions to active officers.
New Unit Staffed With Psychologists
Sessions have already begun in 2026 with FESC operational, administrative, and legal staff. The program also includes grief management training and courses on neurodivergent awareness, expanding the scope beyond traditional counseling.
Services will not be limited to officers themselves. Through formal agreements with the Baja California State Psychiatry Institute and private mental health centers, the program will extend psychological support to officers’ families. The state government views family wellness as a key factor in officer performance and retention.
Why Officer Mental Health Matters in Baja California
The FESC operates across Baja California’s five municipalities: Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Tecate, and Playas de Rosarito. Officers in these cities routinely face high-stress situations tied to drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and violent crime. Tijuana alone regularly ranks among Mexico’s most dangerous cities, placing enormous psychological strain on front-line personnel.
Police wellness programs remain uncommon in Mexican state governments. The federal government has promoted mental health screening as part of officer certification processes, but structured therapeutic programs like the one Baja California is launching go further than the national standard.
The 30 percent figure from the internal diagnosis aligns with broader research on law enforcement mental health. Studies in the United States have found that roughly one in four officers experience symptoms of depression, and rates of PTSD among police can be several times higher than in the general population.
The initiative was first reported by La Jornada BC.