Argentine police moonlight as ride-hail drivers: 'more deaths, more killings'

The widening gap between income and the cost of living is driving many Argentine police officers to take on second jobs as ride-hail motorcycle drivers, often carrying their service weapons for self-defense. But the practice is fueling a surge in deaths caused by off-duty officers using their guns without proper oversight.

Diego, a federal police officer in Argentina, said he regularly drives extra shifts after working 12-hour shifts. “An extra eight hours in the police force nets you about 44,000 pesos (about £24), but driving a motorcycle taxi for four hours earns about 42,000 pesos. It’s simple math. It’s common to get in a car and only then find out the driver is also a cop.”

According to data from the Center for Legal and Social Studies (Cels), 75% of deaths caused by police using service firearms in 2025 occurred while they were off duty. Of those, about 13% involved officers driving ride-hail motorcycles — up from two cases in 2020 to 16 in 2025.

Notable incidents include a December 2025 case where a federal officer working as a ride-hail driver shot and killed a 15-year-old. Security forces said the victims attacked the vehicle and the driver identified himself as police before opening fire. In February 2026, in La Matanza (Buenos Aires), another officer shot two robbers in broad daylight while dropping off a passenger. That same month, a Buenos Aires police officer was killed after a passenger with a gun stole the motorcycle; the attacker also died from gunfire.

Uber and DiDi, two popular ride-hail companies in Argentina, ban drivers from carrying weapons, but officers often carry firearms at all times per internal regulations. Victoria Darraidou, security policy coordinator at Cels, said: “Police kill and are killed more often off duty because they use guns without planning, without support, and in a disproportionate manner, endangering others and themselves.”

A female officer in Buenos Aires province lamented: “Many colleagues do Uber, DiDi, deliveries after hours. Pay is too low; we have to borrow money just to get by.” Real income (including extra work) for many officers often falls below the poverty line for a family of four (around $1,000 a month).

The situation persists even as President Javier Milei frequently voices support for security forces, while complaints about pay and working conditions mount. The government has expanded the circumstances under which police may intervene and use force — a policy backed by former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich. According to Cels, this policy has contributed to a 40% increase in deaths caused by police over the past two years.

Lawyer María del Carmen Verdú, founder of human rights organization Correpi, proposed: “If police are not allowed to carry service weapons off duty, the number of deaths from ‘trigger-happy’ cops would drop significantly.”