What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, January 1st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 35 incidents, up 30% from 27 the day before. 3 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 6 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 8 of 35 reports (23% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 6 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 37 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 8 incidents (23% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 5 and Suspicious Circumstance with 4.
Warrant Arrest — up 100% over the past 7 days (12 incidents this week vs 6 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
3 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 9% of all incidents.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02:44 | BURGLARY | Alabama Hill | 1800 Iowa Dr |
| 04:52 | ROBBERY | Roosevelt | 2100 Texas St |
| 17:23 | THREATS | Birchwood | 3300 Hilda Ln |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 6 arrests yesterday, involving 6 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 17% of all incidents. Of the 6 arrests, 2 were Driving Under the Influence, 2 were Theft, and 1 was Trespass. This is unchanged from the 6 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:21 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Downtown |
| 00:57 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | York |
| 12:42 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft | Columbia |
| 16:26 | TRESPASS | Trespass | Meridian |
| 17:23 | THREATS | HarassmentViolent | Birchwood |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 15 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 6 incidents, followed by York with 4 and Downtown with 4.
1 specific location has appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 2900 Squalicum Pkwy (4 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 12 AM – 1 AM with 7 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 5am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 15 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 1, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 12, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 7. Overnight was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 39 incidents. Yesterday's total of 35 is 4 incidents below that 8-week average (10% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 23.4 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 36.9 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Thursday (4 days), this week has recorded 113 incidents — 15% more than the 98 reported at the same point last week. If the pace holds, the week could finish well above last week’s total.
Warrant Arrest Up 100% This Week
Warrant Arrest incidents have risen sharply: 12 in the past 7 days compared to 6 the prior 7 days — a 100% increase.
9 Days Below Average
Bellingham has reported below-average incident counts for 9 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 37 per day; today's 35 continues the quieter stretch. This week is at 113 incidents compared to 98 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 35 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Thursday, January 1st, 2026. Published Friday, January 2nd, 2026.
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