What Happened in Bellingham on Monday, January 12th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 54 incidents, up 69% from 32 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 16 arrests.
The most common incident type was Theft, accounting for 9 of 54 reports (17% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 12 incidents.
Overall activity was 53% above the 30-day average of 35 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Theft led with 9 incidents (17% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 8 and Suspicious Circumstance with 5.
Sex Crime — up 600% over the past 7 days (7 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 4% of all incidents. This is down 50% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:50 | BURGLARY | Cornwall Park | 3900 Meridian St |
| 23:53 | ASSAULT - Felony | Downtown | 300 W Holly St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 16 arrests yesterday, involving 15 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 30% of all incidents. Of the 16 arrests, 4 were Theft, 2 were Drugs & Narcotics, and 2 were Warrant Arrest. This is up 220% from the 5 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:23 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Cordata |
| 05:58 | AUTO THEFT - TMVWOOP | Auto Theft | Meridian |
| 06:04 | TRESPASS | Trespass | Meridian |
| 07:58 | THEFT | Theft | Lettered Streets |
| 08:50 | BURGLARY | BurglaryViolent | Cornwall Park |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 12 incidents, followed by Lettered Streets with 6 and Barkley with 5.
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 (6 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 5 PM – 6 PM with 6 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 5 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 13, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 25, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 11. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Mondays in Bellingham typically average 44 incidents. Yesterday's total of 54 is 10 incidents above that 8-week average (24% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 45.1 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 35.4 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
30-Day High: 54 Incidents
Today's 54 incidents is the highest single-day count in the past 30 days. The 30-day average is 35 per day — today is 54% above that baseline. Prior to today, the last time the count was this high was 31 days ago.
Downtown: Most Active for 5 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 5 consecutive days. Today it logged 12 incidents (22% of the city total).
Sex Crime Up 600% This Week
Sex Crime incidents have risen sharply: 7 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 600% increase.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 54 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Monday, January 12th, 2026. Published Tuesday, January 13th, 2026.
Get the daily briefing
Free, every morning.