The Regional Transportation District is without a police chief after Joel Fitzgerald Sr., on leave since July 1, officially split with the transit agency on Friday, RTD officials confirmed.
It is not clear if Fitzgerald chose to leave his position with RTD’s internal police force or if he was fired.
“As of Sept. 20, Dr. Joel Fitzgerald is no longer employed at the Regional Transportation District,” agency officials said in a statement Friday. “RTD thanks Dr. Fitzgerald for his service to the agency’s employees, customers, and stakeholders over the last two years.”
Fitzgerald was hired in August of 2022 and put in charge of a growing police department tasked with combating issues including increasing violence and drug use in public transit spaces in recent years.
But he was placed on leave for undisclosed reasons earlier this summer, RTD board members confirmed to The Denver Post without offering specifics.
CBS Colorado was the first to report on the situation, highlighting an internal RTD memo that cited an outside investigation into “policy violations” committed by Fitzgerald.
Colorado Public Radio was the first to cover Fitzgerald’s separation from the agency on Friday. That outlet previously reported that Fitzgerald had repeatedly driven an agency SUV at speeds over 100 mph and that he did not frequently visit RTD facilities in person, according to internal agency records.
RTD plans to name an interim leader for its Transit Police and Emergency Management Department in the coming days, according to the agency’s statement Friday.
