La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga announced a salary increase of up to 43% for the city’s municipal police force at a ceremony at City Hall on March 17. The raise directly benefits 828 officers in the capital of Baja California Sur.
Quiroga framed the pay bump as a core piece of the city’s security strategy. La Paz, a coastal city of roughly 300,000 on the Sea of Cortez, has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Mexico’s safer mid-size cities. But retaining trained officers has been a challenge across Baja California Sur, where the cost of living has climbed sharply alongside tourism growth in recent years.
How the raise affects La Paz policing
The 828 officers who stand to benefit represent the bulk of La Paz’s uniformed municipal police. Municipal police in Mexico handle street-level patrols, traffic enforcement, and first response to emergency calls. They are distinct from state police and the federal Guardia Nacional, which focus on organized crime and highway security.
Quiroga did not announce specific crime-reduction targets or new patrol routes alongside the salary increase. Still, the raise is substantial by Mexican municipal standards. Police salaries in Baja California Sur’s smaller municipalities have historically lagged behind those in Los Cabos, where tourism revenue supports larger public safety budgets.
Security context in Baja California Sur
La Paz’s downtown core, the Malecón waterfront, and the marina district are generally considered safe areas with consistent patrol coverage. Neighborhoods farther from the tourist corridor sometimes see less visible police presence. The city also serves as a staging point for visitors heading to islands like Espíritu Santo, a UNESCO World Heritage site about 25 kilometers offshore.
The salary announcement comes as municipalities across Mexico compete to recruit and retain officers. Low pay has been cited nationally as a factor in corruption, attrition, and difficulty attracting qualified candidates to police work. By boosting pay for its existing force, La Paz joins a growing list of Mexican cities attempting to professionalize policing through better compensation rather than headcount alone, according to Noticias La Paz.