RTD Adds Police & Security To Union Station For Rockies Opening Day Celebrations

DENVER (CBS4) - RTD will beef up police and security presence for the Colorado Rockies Opening Day on Friday, April 8. Officials say they are adding enforcement to the Union Station campus which includes the bus concourse, light rail platforms and the pavilions on Wewatta Street and Chestnut Place.

Denver police will have a lot of officers in the Ballpark Neighborhood this weekend, before, during and after the game.

"Be cognizant of the mass number of pedestrians that are going to be on foot downtown; people on scooters, people on bikes. We always want to make sure that everybody's careful in the way that they get to and from the game," said Joe Montoya with the Denver Police Department.

The move comes after months of increased violence and police activity due to drug use at the bus concourse. RTD recently addressed the growing concerns, stating changes were coming which include installing TV monitors which will display security camera feeds at the main concourses; stairs from the light rail platform will change to exit only; and access between the Wewatta and Chestnut Pavilion will be blocked by barriers.

Long-term, there's also a plan to create a paid fare-only area where only ticketed passengers can get in, but RTD CEO Debra Johnson says it will take 12 to 16 months to get the design and materials in place.

More security will be present at the Civic Center Station and along the 16th Street Mall for Opening Day, RTD said on April 6.