DENVER — Regional Transportation District officials say crime on the public transportation's system is down, and more safety improvements are on the way in 2026.
RTD Chief of Police Steve Martingano pointed Denver7 to a growing police force, stronger fare enforcement and the addition of an in-house detective bureau as key drivers for the change.
“One of our big wins [in 2025] was our formation of our detective unit,” Martingano said. “We had to rely a lot on our outside police agencies … having our own detective unit has been really beneficial.”
Martingano said increased fare checks not only help recover revenue, but also boost visibility and officer presence.
“By having individuals check fare, we’re having more visibility on our trains and our buses, on our platforms, so you’re seeing a lot more of our security and police personnel that are out there,” he said. “Our criminal incidents, and our drug incidents have gone down. And I think a lot of that, again, is, you know, if you have somebody in uniform, they’re there within the system, people are going to be less likely to … engage in that type of behavior.”
RTD reported year-over-year decreases in security-related calls for almost every month of 2025, with the most recent data available through November 2025. Drug-related incidents dropped an average of 58% over the past year.
In 2026, RTD plans to open two new police substations — one in Boulder and one in south Denver — aimed at cutting incident response times.
“We’re going to try these two substations, and I’m sure we’re going to see a huge success. So that will give us the opportunity to move to other areas,” Martingano said.
Frequent rider Frederic Moreno said past trips sometimes meant delays caused by disruptive passengers.
“You work a long day and you’re trying to go home, and then the train has to stop and let everybody out because somebody’s doing something they’re not supposed to be doing,” he said.
Moreno said more officers on trains have made a difference for him and others.
“It’s peace of mind,” he said. “Yeah. I can feel safer on the train … I think they’re getting the idea, you know, more security, more cops around Union Station.”
RTD is also encouraging riders to download and use its “Transit Watch” app to report crimes or safety concerns in real time. Officials say those tips help them respond faster and improve security across the system.
Related coverage:
- 'We want folks to come back and ride RTD': Amid continued loss in ridership, RTD grapples with budget deficit
- Crime spree at RTD Park-N-Ride lot near DIA has drivers furious over lack of security
- RTD says drug use reports have dropped, as nationwide study looks at solutions
