Argentine Police Officers Killed and Kill While Driving Rideshares Amid Low Pay

Argentine police officers are taking rideshare driving jobs after regular shifts to cover basic expenses, carrying government-issued firearms during those hours. The Guardian reported that an eight-hour extra police shift pays about 44,000 pesos while four hours of rideshare work can generate 42,000 pesos.

The Centre for Legal and Social Studies documented 16 cases in 2025 in which officers using service weapons killed people while working as rideshare drivers.

That figure rose from two such cases in 2020. The same data showed that 75 percent of all deaths caused by police firearms in 2025 occurred while officers were off duty and that 13 percent of the total involved rideshare work. In February 2026 a 30-year-old officer shot two men who tried to rob him in La Matanza while he was dropping off passengers.

In December 2025 another federal officer shot and killed a 15-year-old during an attempted robbery of his rideshare vehicle. In a separate February 2026 incident a Buenos Aires provincial officer died after being shot by a passenger; the assailant also died from a gunshot. The government poverty line for a family of four stands at roughly $1,000 a month.

Officers interviewed by The Guardian said their combined income, including extra shifts, often falls below that threshold, prompting more resignations and complaints about salaries and conditions. Uber and DiDi prohibit drivers from carrying firearms.

Victoria Darraidou of the Centre for Legal and Social Studies said officers use guns without planning or backup when off duty, increasing risks to themselves and others.

María del Carmen Verdú of Correpi argued that barring off-duty carry would reduce such incidents. President Javier Milei has expressed support for security forces while police complaints over pay have risen. The Centre for Legal and Social Studies recorded a 40 percent increase in deaths at the hands of police over the last two years.