The Regional Transportation District police department has introduced a new detective force to investigate criminal activity across the district. This new force, a response to riders’ safety concerns, is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025.
Officials said the department is part of RTD’s effort to increase safety on its property. Riders and operators reported thousands of assaults on drivers, public urination and rampant drug use between 2021 and 2024.
Officials said the new department should make it easier to investigate crimes across the district, which encompasses parts of eight metro counties.
Brian Cousineau, the commander of the new detective force, pointed to copper wire theft as an example of how it could investigate crimes differently in an RTD press release. Instead of investigating individual cases with local law enforcement agencies, RTD detectives can investigate multiple instances of similar crimes across counties as a single case. The commander explained that this could lead to such crimes being prosecuted as felonies, instead of individual misdemeanors.
The bureau now has three detectives and one commander, but two more detectives are expected to be added this year. RTD police are also building an evidence room.
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