Safety Worries Grow as Crime Incidents Plague Denver’s RTD System

By Jared Dean | KDVR FOX31

DENVER (KDVR) — Over the past couple of years, the RTD Transit Police has ramped up its efforts, increasing the number of officers, cameras, and mental health agents to help resolve situations quickly.

The agency also has a network of security with stations and offices surrounding the stops and other private security companies.

Despite these resources, RTD Transit Chief of Police Steven Martingano says sometimes it is not enough and where to place those officers can be a difficult task.

“You gotta remember we go through 2,300 square miles, 40 cities and eight counties. So we try to really assign our officers to locations that, you know, based on either off of crime data,” Martingano said.

But this attack could spark change. A closer look at the data of crimes like the stabbing on Friday could mean officers are on the move. That and a growing police force is something some riders say they want to see for their morning commute.

“They should have more security. I think in the past, before the pandemic, they used to have more security. I know that everyone or everybody is short-staffed, but using our taxes

Riders FOX31 talked to say they do have concerns.

“To be honest, I’m scared. Especially because I have to wait for the train at 6 a.m. And sometimes there’s people around that are a little bit sketchy,” Maria Alamaraz said.

Not knowing who they are riding next to or what is going to happen on their ride. And if the train is late…

“Sometimes it’s delayed by a couple of minutes, and it makes it even more stressful when you see that strange people keep arriving. So, yeah, sometimes it can be not the best experience, for sure,” Alamaraz said.

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