Some Tijuana police officers begin wearing body cameras, with a focus on tourist areas

Police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, are now equipped with body cameras in an effort to strengthen transparency and accountability, officials said.

Last week in a video posted on social media, Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño announced the initial deployment of 400 body cameras, which will outfit a fraction of the city's police force of about 2,400. Burgueño said he hopes the mandatory use will prevent "any form of extortion or corruption."

The new policy comes amid growing concerns from local business and tourism leaders about alleged police extortion of visitors.

Officials said that the plan is to acquire more body cameras in the future. Burgueño said nearly 10 million pesos, or $575,000, were invested in this initial phase.

On Friday, Burgueño symbolically mounted the first cameras onto the vests of district police chiefs, including those from the traffic and international ports of entry units, the video shows. The mayor also said that officers who work in areas with high visitor traffic, such as Zona Río, downtown Tijuana and Avenida Internacional, will be fully equipped in this initial stage.

Tijuana Secretary of Public Safety José Alejandro Avilés said equipping police officers will be a "very important step" in ensuring the integrity of police procedures, "both for the public and for the police themselves."

On Monday, Burgueño reiterated that cameras must be turned on as required by amended city rules.

Those rules, which the Tijuana City Council passed in October, state that police officers must fulfill their duties regarding their uniforms and "regulatory, tactical, and technological equipment."

The Tijuana mayor added that police officers could face sanctions if they do not comply. Only law enforcement will have access to the footage, he said.

"This information is only to be used when an authority needs it in connection with a specific incident, complaint, or matter requiring clarification as part of a legal or judicial proceeding," he said.

Earlier this year, police officers began required training that covered the general operation of the devices, proper camera use, activation protocols and downloading evidence.

Body cameras had previously been acquired for police purposes in Tijuana, but their use was either limited or some of the cameras were ultimately not used, according to news reports in Tijuana.

Burgueño said this time, the city revised its rules to make them mandatory.

Public safety remains one of the biggest challenges for the border town. The latest National Urban Public Safety Survey, conducted every three months in Mexico, found that nearly 66% of respondents in Tijuana said they felt unsafe.

Before taking office, Burgueño said he planned to provide the police department with additional tools and technology to address long-standing public safety issues. Last week, he also mentioned the use of cameras in police vehicles and drones in his security plan.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 1:34 PM.