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RTD considering replacing armed officers with crisis intervention teams

The resolution calls for RTD to end its contracts with Allied Security and local police departments.

DENVER — The Regional Transportation District (RTD) board is slated to vote on a proposal to end its contracts with a private security company and local police departments and to instead rely on crisis intervention teams.

The vote on the resolution written by board member Shontel Lewis is on the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting, and would need support from a majority of the RTD board’s 15 members to pass.

The resolution calls for the transportation agency to end its contract with private security company Allied by the end of the year, as well as intergovernmental agrees between Denver, Arvada and Aurora police departments.

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In its place, the resolution calls for RTD to allocate $27.3 million in “the expansion of mental, behavioral and societal supports, such as social workers, medical professionals, homeless outreach workers, transit ambassador/conductors, and any additional support identified, to respond to constituent interactions.”

Those teams would be responsible for responding to problems at RTD stations and on buses and trains in lieu of armed officers.

The resolution also calls for the creation of a “Community Safety Oversight Workgroup” to develop public safety policies.

Some of this workgroup’s responsibilities would include reviewing RTD’s practices to ensure Black, Indigenous People and People of Color are not disproportionately impacted by RTD policies, as well as to establish outreach and services for people experiencing homelessness.

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