RTD names Steve Martingano new police chief

The RTD’s Interim Police Chief to Officially Assume Role Next Month

After filling the role of acting police chief at the Regional Transportation District (RTD) since last year, Steve Martingano is set to be officially sworn in as the chief of police and emergency management on May 13 at Denver’s Union Station, according to a recent news release by RTD officials.

Martingano, who has been a part of the RTD for over ten years, assumed the position of acting co-chief of the police department in July last year after the former chief, Joel Fitzgerald, was terminated for violating department policies.

Following Fitzgerald’s dismissal, he filed a federal lawsuit in November alleging racial discrimination by RTD leaders. The lawsuit is currently ongoing.

After RTD’s second acting co-chief resigned in February, Martingano became the sole interim chief, leading up to his recent appointment as the chief of police and emergency management.

During his interim tenure, Martingano oversaw the implementation of a four-step action plan at RTD, focusing on visibility, customer education, fare enforcement, and technology, resulting in a significant 52% decrease in security-related calls for service from February 2024 to February 2025.

RTD attributed this reduction to increased officer presence in high-visibility areas, fare sweeps, and regular patrols.

Additionally, RTD’s police department ramped up its recruitment efforts, expanding from five officers in 2022 to nearly 100 in 2025.

Furthermore, RTD reported a nearly 60% decrease in calls at Denver’s Union Station after implementing the “Reclaim Union Station” plan in March 2022.