Off-duty police kill and die more as Argentina’s officers take second jobs

When the gap between his salary and his family’s basic expenses began widening dramatically, Diego – like many other Argentinians – started working as a rideshare driver on top of his day job. He usually does a few hours at the end of his 12-hour shift; and more on his days off.

It would be just another story from recession-ridden Argentina, but for the fact that Diego is a federal police officer. "You can make around 44,000 pesos (about £24) in an extra eight-hour shift in the police or you can make 42,000 pesos worth of trips in four hours.

It’s just maths. It is very common to get in a rideshare and find out the driver also works in the police," he said. Data from the Centre for Legal and Social Studies (Cels) show that 75% of deaths caused by police officers using their issued firearms in 2025 occurred while the officers were off duty, and about 13% of the total involved officers working as rideshare drivers.

Argentina

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