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.
“I try to take it when there’s not many people on it. Just to not deal with the headache of seeing other people as well. And yeah, i’m not too fond of like big crowds or just too many people in one area,” RTD rider Ali Zullali said.
Martingano says they currently have 94 officers employed with the RTD Transit Police and are hoping to bring that number up to 120 or 130 by the end of the year.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
