RTD reports crime drop, plans new police substations for 2026

RTD Reports Decrease in Crime on Public Transportation

DENVER — Regional Transportation District (RTD) officials report that crime on public transportation is down. More safety improvements are planned for 2026.

RTD Chief of Police Steve Martingano told Denver7 that a growing police force, stronger fare enforcement, and an in-house detective bureau are key factors in this 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 noted that increased fare checks help recover revenue and 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. The most recent data available is 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. These are 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 shared that past trips sometimes faced delays due to 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 added that 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. This app allows users to report crimes or safety concerns in real time. Officials say these tips help them respond faster and improve security across the system.