Randy Lichter
Randy Lichter
Transit Police Officer – Recruit
RETIRED U.S. ARMY
“RTD is my purpose”: How Randy Lichter became an RTD police officer for life
Growing up, Randy Lichter knew two things: He liked to be part of a team, and he liked having a system in place with rules to follow.
Born and raised in Broomfield, Lichter’s childhood was shaped by listening to his grandpa tell stories about his time in the Army, and watching his cousin join the Air Force, where he spent seven years. “He went to the Air Force when I was young, like six or seven, and he got out when I was 13, so he had been telling me what he was going through and put that bug in my ear. By the time he got back, I was old enough to understand the importance of what he had been doing.”
After graduating from high school, Lichter was “all over the place.” Unsure of whether to go to college, join the military, or find a career, he chose career, first working in a car dealership and then in a factory, operating wind turbines. “I would help build them and fix broken ones and old parts. I’ve always kind of been drawn to an environment where there is a system I could follow, a process already in place.”
At age 24, Lichter decided to join the military. Spending a year in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, completing basic and additional training, he was then sent to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Lichter worked in Air Defense artillery, handling missiles as a PATRIOT fire control enhanced operator/maintainer. Though he had hoped to stay for 20 years, he was medically discharged after four.
“It was my time to go. I wasn’t happy about it, but I knew it was a sign to go and serve elsewhere. That’s when I heard about the RTD police force.”
His cousin, who had inspired him to go into the military, was in the process of joining RTD’s Transit Police when Lichter left. “He told me they were trying to build up the police department and get a legit full force. I felt incentivized. I grew up in Denver, I’ve used RTD forever, but I had no idea there were RTD police officers. I knew then that this was my purpose, I wanted to help it grow.”
Lichter joined as a recruit in April 2024, attended the police academy, and graduated that December. Having been a police officer for nearly a year, Lichter believes it is the best decision he has ever made.
“Transitioning to civilian life was hard,” Lichter reflects. “I was used to such a strict routine and system for four years. Coming back to civilian life and being around everyone who didn’t have that mindset, it was hard. It was good to be in this job and be around other people in the military because they understand. Talking about our experiences, it was much easier coming into the police work and being around that kind of community.”
Lichter now patrols Union Station, working night shifts. He loves making connections with RTD customers and members of the public, but most of all, working with his team. “Having that camaraderie, working as a team tactically was actually the biggest help in switching to RTD police work.”
With service as a primary motive, Lichter sees himself as an RTD police officer for life. “Serving the community is so important to me, I couldn’t give that up when I left the military. I always want to be a good cop, just like I always wanted to be a good soldier.”
To veterans or individuals leaving the military and looking for a new path, Lichter says being an RTD officer is a great option. “Being an RTD police officer, I was able to find the sense of belonging I was craving after coming back to civilian life, since so many other veterans are part of the police department. The sense of purpose you feel in the military, you feel it here too.”
“Being an RTD police officer, I was able to find the sense of belonging I was craving after coming back to civilian life, since so many other veterans are part of the police department. The sense of purpose you feel in the military, you feel it here too.”