Why off-duty cops in second jobs ‘kill and die more’ in recession-hit Argentina

W hen 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. The chainsaw austerity measures of president Javier Milei have had a devastating impact on the daily lives of large parts of Argentina’s population. While the rate of overall economic activity is slowly increasing , purchasing power has been rapidly declining as increasing numbers of people take loans to cover the basics , including food. “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,” said Diego, who asked not to use his real name. A growing number of Argentinian police officers, including those who spoke to the Guardian, say they are taking on second jobs – often carrying with them their government-issued guns for protection. Human rights organisations say this shift has coincided with an increase in deaths caused by off-duty officers using their service weapons while working other jobs. …