DENVER — More than two dozen cars were hit in a wave of smash-and-grabs at the 40th and Colorado A-Line train station to Denver International Airport Friday morning.
Commuters like Vivika Lawrence were left in shock Friday morning after seeing row after row of cars with windows smashed in at the 40th and Colorado lot.
“I've never had a problem with it, until coming today and seeing bricks on the ground, shattered glass and multiple parking spots [as] I'm looking for somewhere to park,” said Lawrence.
Officials from the Denver Police Department (DPD) told Denver7 it happened around 1 a.m. on Friday.
It wasn’t just the RTD lot — vehicles on nearby streets also got broken into. Neighbors who live in the area told us it’s an ongoing problem — but not to this extent.
It's not the first time we've reported on issues like this at RTD stations.
In 2023, we told you about a series of smash-and-grab thefts at several RTD lots, including its Central Park station.
Back then, RTD officials told us they had camera coverage throughout the district, but we didn't see any visible cameras at the 40th and Colorado lot on Friday.
Denver7 reached out to RTD as we searched for answers.
“Although RTD has no network or power infrastructure at the 40th and Colorado Station Park-n-Ride to install cameras, the agency is taking a number of steps to combat crime,” a spokesperson told us.
RTD Transit Police and security officers have done 15 security checks at the 40th and Colorado lot so far this month, with over 300 year-to-date.
Denver7 witnessed them patrolling the area on Friday afternoon.
In addition, they told us they are doing the following:
- RTD's Transit Police coordinating and sharing information with other law enforcement jurisdictions, including both the Denver and Aurora police departments when investigating cases
- Using RTD mobile units assigned to patrol Park-n-Rides and secondary deployment with Denver and Aurora police officers for additional people power
- Asking for assistance from local jurisdictions for extra visibility on its properties
- Requesting its officers to park and do their computer work in RTD Park-n-Rides for additional visibility
- Transit Police officers conducting vehicle checks at Park-n-Rides to see if packages or valuable items are visible in cars, whether windows are open or cracked, keys left in vehicles, etc. A vehicle "report card" is left on the windshield of cars.
Vivika told us she normally parks in the 40th and Colorado lot two or three times a week — but not anymore.
“I'm about to go to work right now, [and] not take the train. Yeah, I'm just driving,” she said.
DPD said the case in under investigation and no arrests have been made.
If you have any information, you're asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
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