What Happened in Bellingham on Friday, January 9th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 49 incidents, up 2% from 48 the day before. 3 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 14 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 10 of 49 reports (20% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 10 incidents.
Overall activity was 36% above the 30-day average of 36 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 10 incidents (20% of total), followed by Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 6 and Theft with 5.
Sex Crime — up 400% over the past 7 days (5 incidents this week vs 1 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 6% of all incidents.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Cordata | 4600 Bedford Ave |
| 16:20 | EXPLOSIVES | Downtown | 000 Zoutside City Limits |
| 19:25 | BURGLARY | Puget | 800 Lakeway Dr |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 14 arrests yesterday, involving 14 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 29% of all incidents. Of the 14 arrests, 4 were Theft, 3 were Warrant Arrest, and 2 were Drugs & Narcotics. This is up 56% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:22 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Downtown |
| 08:44 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Roosevelt |
| 12:08 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft | Sehome |
| 12:15 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Downtown |
| 12:21 | THEFT | Theft | Meridian |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 10 incidents, followed by Roosevelt with 7 and Lettered Streets with 6.
1 specific location has appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Grand Ave (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 12 PM – 1 PM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 4am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 8 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 9, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 20, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 12. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Fridays in Bellingham typically average 50 incidents. Yesterday's total of 49 is 1 incident below that 8-week average (2% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 47.7 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 36.0 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Friday (5 days), this week has recorded 244 incidents — 49% more than the 164 reported at the same point last week. If the pace holds, the week could finish well above last week’s total.
Sex Crime Up 400% This Week
Sex Crime incidents have risen sharply: 5 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 400% increase.
8 Days Above Average
Bellingham has reported above-average incident counts for 8 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 36 per day; today's 49 continues the trend. This week is already at 244 incidents compared to 164 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 49 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Friday, January 9th, 2026. Published Saturday, January 10th, 2026.
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