Crime near A-Line increases, but still fairly low

DENVER -- Denver7 has obtained data revealing criminal incidents at stations providing service on the new RTD A-Line. The commuter rail service debuted in late April and operates between Union Station in downtown Denver and Denver International Airport.

As many as 18,000 people ride the A-line between the airport and Union Station every day.

Overall, crime at the stations is low, but there are a few eye-opening cases.

At the DIA station, for example, a total of 12 crimes have been reported since the station debuted in late April -- including theft and a sexual assault.

Compare the 2016 stats to 2015 statistics.

At the Central Park station, there have been more than a dozen reports, including assault and a case of indecent exposure.

Thousands of people ride the A-Line every day, yet only one crime has been reported on a train.  Someone was cited for not buying a ticket.

Unlike the Light Rail and buses, the A-Line must have an armed officer on-board because it operates on federal tracks.

“Having a security officer on every train on the University of Colorado A is no doubt a huge deterrent for people that might be up to mischief,” said RTD Commuter Rail spokesperson Nate Currey. “That, combined with, we actually have live feeds for our cameras inside the train for the first time and we've got an extensive system on all of our platforms.” 

RTD has its own force patrolling the stations, combined with local police -- an arrangement that's been in place since the start.