What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, January 15th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 28 incidents, down 35% from 43 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 13 of 28 reports (46% of total). The most active neighborhood was Puget with 4 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 29 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Administrative led with 13 incidents (46% of total), followed by Theft & Burglary with 4 and Behavioral Health with 3.
Administrative alone accounted for more incidents than the next 3 categories combined, which totaled 9.
Trending: Assault & Violence is up 83% over the past 7 days (11 incidents this week vs 6 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 14% of all incidents. This is unchanged from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was ASSAULT - Felony with 2 of 4 incidents, followed by KIDNAP - Unlawful Imprisonment with 1. Of 4 violent incidents, 2 resulted in an arrest — a 50% arrest rate.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:11 | ASSAULT - FelonyViolent | Downtown | 100 Block of W Laurel St |
| 09:56 | KIDNAP - Unlawful ImprisonmentViolent | Barkley | 3700 Block of E Mcleod Rd |
| 12:10 | ASSAULT - FelonyViolent | Cordata | 500 Block of Darby Dr |
| 19:10 | BURGLARYViolent | Puget | 800 Block of Lakeway Dr |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 7 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 29% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 3 were Theft & Burglary, 2 were Administrative, and 1 was Assault & Violence. This is down 11% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:11 | ASSAULT - Felony | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Downtown |
| 08:46 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic & Vehicles | Birchwood |
| 08:49 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Happy Valley |
| 08:49 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Harassment & Threats | Happy Valley |
| 14:56 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 15:31 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Sehome |
| 19:10 | BURGLARY | Theft & BurglaryViolent | Puget |
| 20:09 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Puget had the highest activity with 4 incidents, followed by Downtown with 3 and Happy Valley with 3.
2 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Block of Grand Ave (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 8 AM – 9 AM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 5 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 13, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 7, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 3. Morning was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 35 incidents. Yesterday's total of 28 is 7 below that 8-week average (20% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 31.7 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 28.7 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Assault & Violence Up 83% This Week
Assault & Violence incidents have risen sharply: 11 in the past 7 days compared to 6 the prior 7 days — a 83% increase. Today alone saw 2 assault & violence incidents.
Unusually Quiet for a Thursday
28 incidents is 20% below the 8-week Thursday average of 35. That's 7 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 28 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Thursday, January 15th, 2026. Published Friday, January 16th, 2026.
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What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, January 15th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 28 incidents, down 35% from 43 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 13 of 28 reports (46% of total). The most active neighborhood was Puget with 4 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 29 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Administrative led with 13 incidents (46% of total), followed by Theft & Burglary with 4 and Behavioral Health with 3.
Administrative alone accounted for more incidents than the next 3 categories combined, which totaled 9.
Trending: Assault & Violence is up 83% over the past 7 days (11 incidents this week vs 6 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 14% of all incidents. This is unchanged from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was ASSAULT - Felony with 2 of 4 incidents, followed by KIDNAP - Unlawful Imprisonment with 1. Of 4 violent incidents, 2 resulted in an arrest — a 50% arrest rate.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:11 | ASSAULT - FelonyViolent | Downtown | 100 Block of W Laurel St |
| 09:56 | KIDNAP - Unlawful ImprisonmentViolent | Barkley | 3700 Block of E Mcleod Rd |
| 12:10 | ASSAULT - FelonyViolent | Cordata | 500 Block of Darby Dr |
| 19:10 | BURGLARYViolent | Puget | 800 Block of Lakeway Dr |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 7 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 29% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 3 were Theft & Burglary, 2 were Administrative, and 1 was Assault & Violence. This is down 11% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:11 | ASSAULT - Felony | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Downtown |
| 08:46 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic & Vehicles | Birchwood |
| 08:49 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Happy Valley |
| 08:49 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Harassment & Threats | Happy Valley |
| 14:56 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 15:31 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Sehome |
| 19:10 | BURGLARY | Theft & BurglaryViolent | Puget |
| 20:09 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Puget had the highest activity with 4 incidents, followed by Downtown with 3 and Happy Valley with 3.
2 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Block of Grand Ave (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 8 AM – 9 AM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 5 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 13, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 7, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 3. Morning was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 35 incidents. Yesterday's total of 28 is 7 below that 8-week average (20% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 31.7 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 28.7 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Assault & Violence Up 83% This Week
Assault & Violence incidents have risen sharply: 11 in the past 7 days compared to 6 the prior 7 days — a 83% increase. Today alone saw 2 assault & violence incidents.
Unusually Quiet for a Thursday
28 incidents is 20% below the 8-week Thursday average of 35. That's 7 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 28 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Thursday, January 15th, 2026. Published Friday, January 16th, 2026.
Get the daily briefing
Free, every morning.