The Baja California Sur State Public Security Academy (AESP) is evaluating 395 municipal police officers from four municipalities on seven core policing competencies. The testing covers officers from Los Cabos, Loreto, Comondú, and Mulegé as part of the state’s ongoing push to professionalize local law enforcement.
AESP Director Antonio Campos Navarrete confirmed the evaluations. Certified instructors are grading officers through realistic scenario recreations and physical condition tests, all following national protocols set by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP).
What the Seven Competencies Cover
Officers must demonstrate proficiency in physical fitness, use of force and self-defense, firearms and police marksmanship, police vehicle operation, detention and transport of suspects, PR-24 baton handling, and radio communications equipment operation. The tests also include a first-responder component and a general knowledge exam.
Passing these evaluations is a prerequisite for officers to obtain or renew the Certificado Único Policial (CUP), the mandatory credential required to remain active in the force. Results are recorded in each officer’s personnel file and factor into promotions, merit recognition, and disciplinary records within the police career service.
Statewide Rollout Across Municipalities
The 395 officers tested across Los Cabos, Loreto, Comondú, and Mulegé follow an earlier round that evaluated 210 La Paz municipal police between April 8 and May 26. That brings the total number of officers tested statewide to more than 600. Academy instructors traveled to each municipality to conduct the evaluations on-site, avoiding disruptions to regular patrol schedules.
The AESP has also separately evaluated 202 officers from the State Preventive Police (PEP) using the same seven-competency framework. Those evaluations used the same certified instructors and identical testing criteria.
Campos Navarrete said the goal is to update field knowledge so residents and visitors can have greater confidence in officers working the streets. The program is part of a broader professionalization effort mandated by Mexico’s national public security system.
This story was first reported by the Baja California Sur state government at bcs.gob.mx.