RTD Says Drug and Crime Deterrence Efforts Are Working

Who could have guessed the elevator doors would be a critical element of reducing illicit drug use at transit stations around the Denver metro?

Keeping stations' elevator doors open when the carriages are at rest is just one public safety measure the Regional Transit District (RTD) is touting as it announces a roughly two-thirds decline in incident reports. According to RTD, these efforts have resulted in a 65 percent decrease in the average number of drug activity reports per month by riders in 2025. And while drug activity calls made up 60 percent of RTD app reports in 2022, drug-related reports are currently responsible for only 21 percent of Transit Watch submissions.

A new study titled "The Impacts of and Response to Drug Use on Transit" by the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) evaluated RTD and transit systems in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, to examine strategies to deter illicit drug activity. RTD's Customer Experience Elevator Program, wherein elevator doors at select rail stations remain open when at rest, was highlighted as a deterrence strategy; it is now being replicated by LA Metro Authority.

But it's not just the yawning lift doors that account for the drop in incident reports, according to RTD Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano.

"We're seeing measurable progress from adding Transit Police officers to the station with 24/7 patrolling, upgrading technology and using real-time video feeds at our stations, in addition to adapting facilities and environments to discourage unwanted activities and illicit drug use to promote a Welcoming Transit Environment for customers and employees," Martingano says in a statement.

The TCRP report notes the implementation of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles in Union Station, which include improved lighting, installing directional railing that reconfigures passenger circulation patterns, installing improved security cameras, reclassifying stairs as emergency exit only, placing barriers to block access to certain areas, installing signs that discourage loitering, and increasing police surveillance.

RTD Transit Police staffing has increased significantly in recent years, going from nineteen in 2022 to over 100 currently, with 24/7 patrols and K-9 units. According to RTD, all officers and contracted security guards now carry naloxone, the drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.

The TCRP report also touts RTD's Transit Watch app, which riders can use to report crime, drug use and security incidents directly to transit police, as well as RTD's outreach program, wherein specialists offer resources to people in need, including "blessing bags," with hydration liquids, socks, and naloxone.

RTD recently began reporting monthly security incidents on its website, as well, with metrics such as year-over-year comparisons and security-related calls per customer onboard. In June, there was one security report for every 1,866 passengers on RTD, the dashboard shows.

The report also highlight challenges in enforcement efforts for Transit Police and contracted security officers. According to TCRP's research, contractors cannot make arrests and are only armed with pepper spray, while Transit Police can enforce RTD's Code of Conduct, prohibiting drug use and trespassing, but can only arrest individuals for trespassing if they've been suspended for violating the Code of Conduct. Transit Police have to operate within eight counties' jurisdictions, too, which have varying arrest processing protocols.

On our own recent inspection of the 16th Street FreeRide route downtown and peek inside Civic Center Station at Colfax and Broadway, the only substance use we witnessed was an older gentleman who brought his Twisted Tea can on the bus and sipped it as he tried to hide its logo with his hands. Granted, we rode the route at 9 a.m. and noon, perhaps missing prime time for public fentanyl abuse  — but the metro's much-bemoaned fentanyl problem wasn't on display on RTD that day.