What Happened in Bellingham on Friday, January 16th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 43 incidents, down 19% from 53 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 9 of 43 reports (21% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 7 incidents.
Overall activity was 15% above the 30-day average of 37 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 9 incidents (21% of total), followed by Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 7 and Theft with 4.
Assault — Felony — 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
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 9% of all incidents. This is down 43% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:00 | BURGLARY | Birchwood | 1400 Birchwood Ave |
| 12:33 | BURGLARY | Columbia | 2900 Victor St |
| 16:00 | EXPLOSIVES | Downtown | 000 Zoutside City Limits |
| 17:08 | BURGLARY | Columbia | 1900 W Illinois St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 7 individuals. 3 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 19% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 3 were Burglary, 2 were Driving Under the Influence, and 1 was Theft. This is down 33% from the 12 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:00 | BURGLARY | BurglaryViolent | Birchwood |
| 11:36 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Lettered Streets |
| 12:33 | BURGLARY | BurglaryViolent | Columbia |
| 13:15 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft | Sunnyland |
| 17:08 | BURGLARY | BurglaryViolent | Columbia |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 15 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 7 incidents, followed by Meridian with 6 and Birchwood with 5.
2 specific locations have 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 11 AM – 12 PM with 6 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 6 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 10, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 11, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 16. Evening was the busiest period overall.
Fridays in Bellingham typically average 48 incidents. Yesterday's total of 43 is 5 incidents below that 8-week average (10% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 48.0 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 37.4 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Downtown: Most Active for 9 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 9 consecutive days. Today it logged 7 incidents (16% of the city total).
Assault — Felony Up 400% This Week
Assault — Felony incidents have risen sharply: 5 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 400% increase.
5 Days Above Average
Bellingham has reported above-average incident counts for 5 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 37 per day; today's 43 continues the trend. This week is already at 258 incidents compared to 244 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 43 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Friday, January 16th, 2026. Published Saturday, January 17th, 2026.
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