What Happened in Bellingham on Saturday, January 17th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 47 incidents, up 9% from 43 the day before. 5 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 16 arrests.
The most common incident type was Theft, accounting for 9 of 47 reports (19% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 15 incidents.
Overall activity was 25% above the 30-day average of 38 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Theft led with 9 incidents (19% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 8 and Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 5.
Graffiti — up 333% over the past 7 days (13 incidents this week vs 3 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
5 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 11% of all incidents. This is up 25% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14:45 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 100 E Holly St |
| 19:16 | BURGLARY | Meridian | 300 E Bellis Fair Pkwy |
| 19:40 | ASSAULT - Felony | Cornwall Park | 2900 Squalicum Pkwy |
| 20:24 | EXPLOSIVES | Sehome | 1100 Billy Frank Jr St |
| 21:42 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Meridian | 4100 Meridian St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 16 arrests yesterday, involving 16 individuals. 4 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 34% of all incidents. Of the 16 arrests, 5 were Traffic Stops, 5 were Theft, and 2 were Drugs & Narcotics. This is up 100% from the 8 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:55 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Sehome |
| 02:43 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Downtown |
| 03:26 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Columbia |
| 07:37 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Downtown |
| 10:02 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Downtown |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 15 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 15 incidents, followed by Downtown with 9 and Cornwall Park with 4.
Meridian accounted for 32% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
3 specific locations have 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 1 PM – 2 PM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 4am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 6 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 8, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 18, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 15. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Saturdays in Bellingham typically average 36 incidents. Yesterday's total of 47 is 11 incidents above that 8-week average (31% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 47.1 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 37.5 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Graffiti Up 333% This Week
Graffiti incidents have risen sharply: 13 in the past 7 days compared to 3 the prior 7 days — a 333% increase.
Unusually Busy for a Saturday
47 incidents is 32% above the 8-week Saturday average of 36. That's 11 more incidents than expected. This marks 6 consecutive days above the rolling average.
6 Days Above Average
Bellingham has reported above-average incident counts for 6 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 38 per day; today's 47 continues the trend. This week is already at 305 incidents compared to 284 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 47 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Saturday, January 17th, 2026. Published Sunday, January 18th, 2026.
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