New RTD Police Chief shares 2025 plans to keep services safe
Martingano joined RTD in 2015 as a commander and was promoted to deputy chief in 2017. During his time at the agency, he has worked to modernize RTD's police deployment and response model by introducing sector policing.
Steve Martingano
RTD
He also pioneered the first mental health co-responder unit in transit policing, a program that was later expanded to include outreach coordinators focused on the unhoused population. These efforts led him to co-found the National Transportation Vulnerable Populations Working Group. Martingano is also a subject-matter expert for the American Public Transportation Association, also known as APTA, peer review panels focused on policing and security.
Under his leadership, RTD has implemented a four-step action plan focused on visibility, customer education, fare enforcement and technology. In March 2025, RTD announced a 50% year-over-year reduction in security-related calls for service across its service area as well as an increase in fare enforcement on the rail system. The agency also announced last week a 60% reduction in calls at Denver Union Station, following a three-year focus on the intermodal transit facility.
RTD said the drop in crime related calls comes from new technology that was implemented in 2024. This includes live cameras on transit services and officers on platforms and trains patrolling. Officers can watch the live feeds through their laptops in their vehicles.
CBS
To reinforce community safety, Martingano has been at the forefront of expanding RTD's police department from five officers three years ago to nearly 100 sworn officers today. Currently, the department has 87 officers and is budgeted to hire 150 officers.
Martingano said his biggest focus is having his officers keep developing relationships with riders and the community. If there is an incident, the officers can learn about it quicker through that trust. He hopes enforcement is the last option in any circumstances.
"Hopefully, enforcement is the last option," Martingano said. "Sometimes, it is the first. Obviously, this depends on the situation, but we are hoping that law-enforcement actions are the last ones. We are able to build that trust in that relationship and have people understand how they should be acting on our RTD."
RTD also has an app to report suspicious activity. It is their RTD Transit Watch app. This is text-based and will go directly to dispatch. They are a 24-hour a day, seven days a week service.
To ensure more safety in 2025, the agency will be utilizing AI as a pilot program to help with report writing. This system will help jot down notes from their body cam to provide quicker results. Then, officers can focus on their patrols and not just administrative work.
Martingano will be sworn in as RTD's new Chief on May 13th.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
From ashes to art: Colorado couple rebuilds after Marshall Fire, brings healing to community through dance
When the Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County in December 2021, Fallon Voorheis-Mathews and her husband, Fleetwood Mathews, lost everything. "My wedding dress, our family photos," she said in a video she recorded of her burned property. "It's all gone." Among the irreplaceable items destroyed was Fleetwood's first harvested bull elk – a deeply personal milestone for the avid bowhunter. "I was saving all the best cuts for a special occasion, and it's a waste," Fleetwood said in 2022, when the couple first invited CBS Colorado's Kelly Werthmann to the charred remains of their property. "If you have something nice that you're cherishing, enjoy it. Don't wait because you never know what's going to happen." In a unique act of compassion, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer donated confiscated elk meat – taken from an illegal hunt – to the couple after hearing their story. The gesture and forged friendship with Officer Sam Peterson became a symbol of the kindness that helped carry the Mathews family through their long road to recovery. "In a time of devastation, there are silver linings," Fleetwood said, expressing his gratitude for CPW's generosity. "Not all is lost, even though it might feel like it is." Now, more than three years later, the couple is finally in their rebuilt home in Louisville. They invited Werthmann back to their property, which is more than a house – it's a living gallery of memories, loss, and resilience. "We chose white for the walls because we love art," Fallon said. "We wanted it to feel like an art gallery." Inside, charred keepsakes like Fleetwood's late grandfather's tie clip and pieces of plates recovered from their burned home sit alongside bold new expressions of a new beginning. Perhaps most striking is an eight-foot mixed-media painting the couple co-created with a local artist. "He had the canvas prepped for us… and he said, 'Just go crazy on the canvas, get it all out,'" Fallon explained. "So, we wrote lots of swear words on there." The massive artwork also incorporates the final insurance settlement check, original building plans, and 716 tally marks – one for each day they were displaced. "If it's there," Fallon said, pointing to the canvas, "then it doesn't need to be here," tapping her chest. Like many families who lost their homes in the Marshall Fire, the Mathews faced uphill battles against insurance companies, the county, and contractors. "Excruciating," Fallon said of the rebuilding process. "It was a big fight. But my husband and I are fighters, and we won't go down easy." Just when the couple thought their fight to rebuild and get back home was over, another fight began. "About three months after moving home, I went in for my 40-year-old routine mammogram and was diagnosed with breast cancer," said Fallon, fighting back tears. "I broke down with the nurse in that room and I just said, 'I can't do one more thing right now.'" For the last year, Fallon has endured a series of grueling cancer treatments and surgeries. She had a double mastectomy with delayed reconstruction, radiation, and now hormone therapy. To process her grief, trauma, and fear, Fallon turns to art. "Art heals," she said. Using her passion and profession of aerial dance, Fallon not only uses the artistic movement to navigate her own emotions but hopes it can help others do the same. "The more you try to fight it, the more it's going to take over," Fallon said. It is an important message Fallon is pouring into her upcoming show titled Embers, Petals and Stars, premiering Aug. 21 and 22 at Denver's JCC Elaine Wolf Theater. It's a three-part aerial dance production she is directing and performing in, with the first act rooted in the devastation and recovery following the Marshall Fire. "This story is so much bigger than my story of the Marshall Fire," she said. "It's a story about grief and resilience and rebuilding, and those are stories that transcend so many of us. We've all felt something like that in some way. We can all connect to that." Fallon hopes the performance offers a space for community connection and healing, especially in a time when many feel overwhelmed by the world around them. "To be able to go to a live show and feel this exchange of energy... it heals something in everybody," she said. And, if anyone knows anything about healing and resilience, it's Fallon Voorheis-Mathews, who is now in remission. "I've had a lot of grief in my life," she said. "But what I've learned most is that it doesn't go away. It's not predictable, and you can't change it. You just have to let it live and let it be." Find more information about Embers, Petals and Stars online.
CBS News
13-08-2025
- CBS News
Glider crash in Northern Colorado prompts concerns over oversight, regulation
Emergency services scrambled Wednesday morning for a glider crash near a remote airfield in Northern Colorado. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office believes that the glider, flying in a group of three, collided with a power line on descent, crashing on County Road 2. There was one pilot in the craft, but LCSO told CBS Colorado they are waiting to hear back from the family before publicly updating the pilot's health status. "These are always hard crashes, always hard calls to go on," said Kate Kimble, Public Information Officer for the Larimer County Sheriff's. The gliders, called 'ultralights', are typical of this area, and the airfield is owned by a resident off the road. But neighbors told CBS Colorado that it was only a matter of time before the worst happened, given how close the power lines were to a field that is used as an airstrip. One neighbor was walking along the Little Thompson River and returned to the area to see black smoke rising from the center of the road and their home without power. Teams with Poudre Valley REA worked throughout the day to return power and put new lines up. This airfield, located outside of Berthoud, is one of many in an area popular with gliding and flying smaller aircraft. "We have a lot of members in our flying and gliding community here in Colorado, and we know that this is an area of interest for them as well," Kimble explained. But some residents aren't thrilled with the gliders, telling CBS Colorado that they are starting to pose a safety risk as pilots conduct increasingly difficult maneuvers in the air. "The low flying is also a safety issue. Not just for me and my horses and livestock, but also from there," said Longmont resident Allison Schultz, who lives two miles west of Vance Brand Airport. She told CBS Colorado that she regularly sees ultralights flying low, sometimes below tree line, and is worried about the lack of regulation around the smaller aircraft. The NTSB and FAA sometimes investigate glider crashes, but sometimes do not, as was the case on Wednesday. "Here's a mix of so many different flying things [at the airport] and not a lot of regulation or management," said Schultz. Dr. Stephen Miller, a Longmont resident of 31 years, is also concerned about the safety risks. Earlier this year, an ultralight crashed on his property, flipping over in the field next to his home. The pilot escaped without injuries, but it made Miller worry about whether it might happen again. "[The pilots] have no regard for anything on the ground," he said. "It's like we don't exist." In light of another accident in the area, both Schultz and Miller would like to see more oversight and regulation of ultralights, and gliders in particular, whether it be from local, state or federal agencies. "It seems like no one has any oversight over these planes," he said.
Newsweek
03-07-2025
- Newsweek
Martin Luther King III and Family: Freedom, Summer of Service, and Building the Beloved Community Together
As summer unfolds and July 4 approaches, our thoughts turn to freedom, family, and the profound power of service. Together, our family—Martin, Arndrea, and our daughter Yolanda—invite you to join us in working to fulfill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's vision for a Beloved Community: a society built on respect, justice, and dignity. The Beloved Community that was envisioned isn't an abstract idea—it begins in our own homes. It's reflected in how we treat one another, how we listen, and how we resolve differences with empathy and love. Home is where we first learn that love is the heartbeat of a just and moral society. It's where values are cultivated not only through words but through action. In everyday moments—small and large—we practice what we preach and begin to heal divisions. The greatest gift a family can offer isn't material wealth or recognition, but something far more lasting: the ability to love unconditionally, to serve wholeheartedly, and to work together to build a better world. Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King, and daughter Yolanda Renée King participate in a vigil at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on April 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King, and daughter Yolanda Renée King participate in a vigil at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on April 4, 2022, in Washington, a time when our world feels increasingly divided—by race, class, politics—family and service remain two of the strongest forces for healing. When parents and children come together with purpose, they model the power of unity and lead by example. We also recognize the urgency of the moment: —Nearly half of U.S. adults report feeling lonely, according to the office of the U.S. Surgeon General; —The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports youth mental health is at crisis levels; —24/7 media feeds outrage but rarely offers solutions. To counter these trends, we invite you to join us this summer in the Realize the Dream (RTD) initiative—a call to action for families to serve together. Our goal of 100 million service hours by 2029 is part of a living tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 100th birthday, honoring his legacy through action and compassion. It's about transforming love into action, turning disconnection into belonging, and fostering a culture of service. Realize the Dream flips the script and replaces fear with action. It's an antidote to helplessness—transforming inward pain into outward service and scroll fatigue into real social connection. RTD rewrites the narrative: —Instead of fear, we offer hope through action; —Instead of scrolling, we inspire real-world change; —Instead of spectating, we foster belonging. Whether it's cleaning a park, volunteering at a food bank, mentoring a child, or advocating for justice, these acts of service build the bonds that hold us together. They remind us that we don't have to wait for someone else to fix our communities—we have the power to heal them ourselves. And when the passion of youth combines with the wisdom and resilience of those who have walked before, movements become unstoppable. This summer, as a family we are volunteering through the Drum Major Institute by supporting civic education workshops that equip young people with the tools to advocate for change in their own communities. We are also volunteering in rural schools in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Together, we can confront the greatest challenges of our time: climate change, racial injustice, and inequality. By building bridges across generations and taking action rooted in compassion, we can move forward together. Our living legacy isn't just about what we leave behind; it's about how we live today. It's about showing up, loving one another, and empowering the next generation to lead. Legacy becomes truly alive through our daily choices and our commitment to service. We urge every parent, every guardian, and every family to reflect on the legacy you want to create. Join the Realize the Dream initiative. Discover the transformative power of service. Because when we serve together, we don't just strengthen our communities—we strengthen the bonds that unite us as families, and as a nation. Martin Luther King III is the oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. He is a thought leader on the world stage. With the astounding display of social injustice, violence, and confusion in recent years, perhaps at no other time in contemporary history has our world needed the clear-thinking and solutions-oriented voice of civil rights advocate and global humanitarian Martin Luther King III. Yolanda Renée King is the sole grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King—and is just as passionate. She has passionately addressed mass gatherings in protests against gun violence, homelessness, and inhumane treatment of refugees seeking asylum on the U.S. southern border. Arndrea Waters King has dedicated herself to public service as a passionate leader in the global fight against inequity, injustice, hate crimes, and all forms of pain. Throughout her life, Arndrea has consistently worked on behalf of those who have been marginalized by helping them find—and collectively use—their voices for change. The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
