DENVER — The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has equipped its entire bus fleet with live look-in cameras in a move to enhance operator and rider safety.
The new system allows RTD’s public safety dispatchers to view and hear real-time situations on buses, providing a crucial tool to address emergencies and other incidents swiftly.
Previously, buses were equipped with cameras, but now, dispatchers can access the live feed directly, enabling them and the police to respond more quickly to issues. Each bus is outfitted with 8-10 cameras, both inside and outside. Drivers can activate these cameras by pressing a duress button, which immediately streams live footage to dispatchers.
Israel Laufer, RTD integrated security systems program manager, said the duress button has been pressed an average of 10 times a day since the system's implementation. However, not all activations are security-related; some are due to operational issues such as flat tires, and others are accidental.
In cases of security issues, dispatchers can connect with the police immediately. The buses now feature live location tracking, enabling dispatchers to provide precise location updates to officers.
“By this mechanism, we can see the bus, know it's moving, and relay to our officers that they are no longer at that location but a few blocks east. It has significantly improved our response time,” said RTD Deputy Police Chief Steve Martingano.
All incidents are recorded enhancing RTD’s capability to retrieve video for real-time investigations. Danielle Vargas, RTD's lead public safety dispatcher, highlighted that the live look-in system enables dispatchers to provide first responders with detailed descriptions of the situation, ensuring they are better informed when they arrive on the scene.
"We’re the second set of eyes for our resources and responders,” said Vargas. "A lot of dispatching is painting the picture for our responders because the overall safety of everybody is what's important to us."
Passengers can also report issues through the RTD app or text feature, which alerts dispatchers to tap into the camera feed. Vargas said these reports are monitored 24/7 and the live look-in feature provides callers with a sense of security because they can watch them throughout the process.
RTD began installing the new software in early 2023, funded by a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded in September 2020.
About 20% of RTD’s light rail has been equipped with live look-in capability and the rest of the fleet will be retrofitted by June 2027.