“Cold weather will drive people down into the bus terminal and things will get worse,” he said. Johnson has been part of the RTD police for a few years, but he said things have never been this bad at Union Station.
02, 2021.ĭown the hall, in the public restroom, Johnson caught three men in one stall trying to smoke an unknown substance off of a piece of foil. Andy Cross, left, and Stephen Johnson, second from left, approach two young men, one allegedly using illegal drugs, third from left, and the other, passed out inside the RTD Union Station Bus Concourse while on their rounds Dec. “You can’t do that inside.”Īndy Cross, The Denver PostRegional Transportation District police officers, Sgt. “You’re sitting there using narcotics,” Cross said as the two men rose to their feet and gathered their things to leave.
/DSC_1246-87a6a00c3117409ab286c680ccb4f1a8.jpg "union station denver")
Between the two sat a burnt piece of foil and a lighter, evidence of recent drug use. They approached two men sitting on the floor, one appearing to be asleep. Cross and officer Johnson headed downstairs into the Union Station’s underground bus terminal. Shortly after interacting with the man reported for making threats near the light rail platform Thursday morning, Sgt. “This is a great opportunity for the community to come together to address some real issues to support our most vulnerable population and, at the same time, provide safety and security at the hub of our community,” she said. It doesn’t just impact her district, but RTD’s entire network and the metro area at large. The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001, which represents about 2,300 RTD drivers, light rail operators, mechanics and other employees, issued a bulletin last week highlighting members’ rights to refuse unsafe work.Īngie Rivera-Malpiede, RTD’s board chair and the elected director for the district that includes Union Station, said curtailing the public drug use and other safety concerns on the campus is an urgent problem. “RTD wants to ensure that our customers, the general public and our employees can enjoy clean and safe environments,” Johnson said.
#Union station denver free#
The group was set to start patrolling Union Station and RTD’s free MallRide shuttle last week, Johnson said Wednesday. RTD is also looking to boost the security presence around the station by bringing in the Guardian Angels, the red-clad volunteer group dedicated to providing extra eyes for public safety.
#Union station denver plus#
The teams are federally funded, officials said, a plus for the cash-strapped transit agency. RTD and TSA officials declined to say how many of the agents are committed to the effort but a memo sent out by Johnson in November said the teams will consist of three to seven members paired with an RTD officer. The teams will be deployed around the station at least through the end of the year, Johnson said. The armed Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response, or VIPR, teams don’t have authority to enforce local laws but are intended to provide extra eyes and support backing up RTD’s own officers, contracted security guards and off-duty Denver police officers working second jobs. Under Johnson’s guidance, the agency has partnered with Transportation Security Administration to bring in special teams of air marshals to patrol the property. “There’s is just blatant illegal activity and unwelcome activities from underserved individuals.”Įfforts are ramping up to try to stem the tide. “I have experienced this first-hand,” RTD CEO and General Manager Debra Johnson told The Denver Post.
#Union station denver upgrade#
Open drug use, drug sales and threatening behavior are commonplace and making Denver’s main transit hub - a campus that underwent a more than $450 million upgrade less than a decade ago - unsafe for people who pass through it and work there. RTD officials, neighborhood residents and area business owners are in agreement: Union Station is in crisis. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĪndy Cross, The Denver PostRegional Transportation District police officer Stephen Johnson, checks on a man who was loitering outside of the Chestnut Pavilion at the RTD Union Station Transit Center on Dec.
0 kommentar(er)
