RTD saw a 52% drop in security-related calls last month as more officers were continually deployed in high-visibility transit locations
DENVER (March 24, 2025) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is seeing measurable results after a year-long focus on bolstering law enforcement, upgrading facilities, and adding bus and train enhancements to improve the personal safety and security of its customers and employees. At the top of the agency's list of strategies is an increased number of RTD Transit Police (RTD-PD) officers patrolling the system, an effort that has now resulted in both a month-over-month and year-over-year decrease in security-related calls. In February 2024, RTD logged 4,460 calls, and that number was cut in half to 2,134 calls in February 2025. Similar month-over-month decreases have been observed going back to July 2024, shortly after RTD implemented 24/7 patrols and gained momentum in recruiting additional police officers.
“Calls have been decreasing because RTD is deploying more officers in high-visibility areas, and they're regularly riding buses and trains,” said RTD Acting Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano. “We’re enforcing the Customer Code of Conduct, conducting fare sweeps, and maintaining a regular presence. These efforts are making a noticeable difference for our customers and frontline employees.”
In 2024, a majority of security incidents recorded by the agency were the result of officer observations. As RTD expands its police force and dispatches more officers across the service area, RTD-PD is able to proactively intervene instead of relying on customers to make reports. Last year, the number of officer observations nearly doubled, a metric that the agency sees as clear evidence that growing its police force is working.
The increase in the department’s sworn officers, standing at approximately 100 currently, “is a force multiplier” and enables greater patrolling coverage across the agency’s 2,345 square-mile service area, RTD Manager of 911 Operations Michelle Lawrence said. The agency is budgeted to have 150 officers on its force by the end of 2025.
Lawrence oversees the team of public safety dispatchers that field all communications to the RTD-PD. “Our job is to help the public and make sure there's a safe and welcoming transit environment for everyone,” Lawrence said. “RTD’s public safety dispatchers are passionate about being here 24/7, 365 days a year answering phones and text messages from customers, helping our officers respond to incidents, and sending emergency resources when and where they’re needed.”
In 2024, RTD logged approximately 43,000 security-related calls for service, or an average of 118 calls each day. The metric includes customer reports of graffiti, drug activity, noise complaints, unattended bags, and other personal safety concerns. In January 2025, RTD received 2,774 security-related calls for service to the agency’s dispatch center (see the agency's February 2025 Customer and Community Engagement Report, page 44). During that same month, RTD had approximately five million customer boardings, which equates to approximately one security-related report for every 1,800 boardings across the entire system. Reports from customers allow RTD-PD to know what is happening in real time and become aware of problematic areas that need addressed. The reports also support data-driven policing strategies and officer deployment.
“RTD is interwoven into the fabric of the communities it serves,” said General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson. “Whatever challenges or problems are happening near a stop or station will most certainly impact the agency’s buses and trains. Whether a customer is waiting for a connection or traveling to their destination, RTD is doubling down on its efforts to ensure their journey is seamless, comfortable, and convenient.”
Facility Improvements and Vehicle Enhancements
The agency uses a strategic approach – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) – to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and create a welcoming transit environment at its more than 75 rail stations and 9,700 bus stops. To bolster personal safety and support security, multiple environmental strategies have been implemented, including live look-in cameras on vehicles, bus operator barriers, an elevator enhancement program, and upgraded lighting in facilities. More information about RTD's facility and vehicle enhancements is available at www.rtd-denver.com/yoursafety.
Outreach and Support Personnel
In the spirit of compassion, RTD also connects individuals to community services, resources, information, and other support not offered by the transit system. RTD deploys a team of mental health clinicians and outreach coordinators to assist unhoused individuals and support those who may need information about community resources. In the near term, RTD has a goal to increase the number of coordinators and clinicians deployed, make resource materials more readily available, and provide additional training for frontline staff to identify signs of a mental health crisis.
Transit Watch: See. Say. Solve.
RTD encourages customers to use the Transit Watch app and report suspicious or unwanted behavior on its vehicles and at stops and stations. If a customer sees something suspicious, they are encouraged to discreetly or anonymously report the activity, and their report will then allow RTD to solve the incident, thus closing the loop.
The direct line of communication between customers and RTD-PD dispatchers enables the agency to strategically deploy officers and allocate resources to better support customers and employees. RTD investigates every call, text, and Transit Watch incident report that it receives. The information customers provide allows the agency to have a holistic understanding of when and where problematic behavior may be occurring.
RTD first made the Transit Watch app available on May 6, 2014, and 1,367 customers downloaded the app that year. The security app now has approximately 45,000 users, and it is available in English and Spanish on both Android and Apple devices. In 2024, RTD received 4,604 incident reports via the security app, or approximately a dozen reports every day. Although Transit Watch downloads continue to increase, incident reports submitted through the app have steadily declined since July 2024, reaching a low of 202 total reports last month.
Contacting Transit Police Outside the Transit Watch App
Customers who do not have a smartphone can contact RTD-PD by calling 303-299-2911 or texting 303-434-9100. In the event of an emergency, customers should always call 911. Emergency phones are also available at select rail stations and transit facilities, connecting individuals directly to RTD's dispatchers.
Reporting Incidents: Details and Timing Matters
Customers are encouraged to report suspicious activity or behavior as soon as possible or when it is safe to do so. Immediately reporting an incident allow dispatchers to use live look-in cameras and dispatch officers in real time. Customers should provide as much information as possible to support law enforcement's response. If it's known or available, a report should include the following information:
- The vehicle number, bus route, rail line, and direction of travel
- If at a rail station or bus stop, report the name or stop number
- If a stop number is not easily visible or known, provide cross streets
- If an individual is causing an unsafe condition, provide a description of the individual (sex, height, body type) and clothing they are wearing and any objects in their possession
- If the individual is leaving the location, share the last known direction of travel
With the information provided, dispatchers can use RTD’s more than 12,000 cameras to view the incident in real time and provide situational updates to responding officers.
Prioritizing Personal Safety
To learn more about the dozens of safety and security tactics currently underway by RTD, visit: www.rtd-denver.com/yoursafety.