RTD Transit Police patrolling from two new substations to boost officer visibility and response
Starting tomorrow, Transit Police will be stationed from the Downtown Boulder Station and RTD Elati facility to augment districtwide patrolling across eight counties and 40 municipalities
DENVER (Feb. 26, 2026) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD) Transit Police Department (RTD-PD) will patrol from two new substations starting Feb. 27 to boost officer visibility and aid efficient response times. One substation is located at RTD’s Elati light rail facility in Englewood, providing officers better access to the southern Denver metro area, including RidgeGate, Littleton, Evans, and Englewood stations.
The second substation is at the Downtown Boulder Station to better facilitate officer visibility and support for customers, RTD employees, and the community. Transit Police officers will patrol from the substations seven days a week to augment the patrols already occurring across the agency’s service area composed of eight counties and 40 municipalities.
RTD Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano said, “The Elati substation gives us a large presence in the southern part of the district. Officers can more efficiently travel to RidgeGate Station or get to Littleton Station compared with traveling to those locations from downtown Denver. The Boulder presence at the downtown bus terminal will support RTD’s customer service and enable us to have greater visibility and response in those areas. As soon as officers get on shift, they are already in their areas of responsibility.”
A goal of the substations is to make the community aware of Transit Police officers’ presence through focused patrols and officer coverage. The two new substations will be a pilot program for the department to assess the benefits of having a direct presence in the patrolling area rather than routinely dispatching officers to their assigned areas. While any future substation locations are yet to be determined, the Transit Police anticipate establishing a substation near the W and G lines for greater coverage and efficient response.
Already, the Transit Police have been taking a sector-based approach to patrolling that divides the RTD service area into five geographical sectors. Areas are led by an RTD-PD district commander responsible for designating officer patrols and addressing any police-related incidents or concerns in the area. District commanders are a part of the community and serve as a regular point of contact for businesses and customers regarding any concerns. District commanders also serve as a resource for local law enforcement agencies within sectors. This data-driven approach facilitates RTD-PD officers being strategically deployed in areas with the greatest need.
Transit Police have made concerted efforts to strengthen safety and security to support a Welcoming Transit Environment over the past several years. The department established 24/7 officer patrolling in May 2024 and has grown from five officers 10 years ago to about 105 officers today. The overall efforts notably decreased security-related calls and reports of illicit drug activity throughout 2025 and continuing into 2026. For 2025, security-related incident reports decreased by roughly 18% on average. In January 2026, customer reports of illicit drug activity decreased 51% compared to the same time last year.
More information about security-related incidents can be found on RTD’s Security-Related Metrics webpage updated monthly for community transparency. The many efforts RTD is taking to support safe transit is available on the Safety and Security webpage.
