What Happened in Bellingham on Sunday, January 18th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 50 incidents, up 6% from 47 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 14 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 9 of 50 reports (18% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 9 incidents.
Overall activity was 32% above the 30-day average of 38 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 9 incidents (18% of total), followed by Theft with 8 and Other Criminal with 4.
Driving Under the Influence — up 200% over the past 7 days (9 incidents this week vs 3 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 8% of all incidents. This is down 20% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Cordata | 500 Darby Dr |
| 17:58 | BURGLARY | Meridian | 300 E Bellis Fair Pkwy |
| 22:51 | ASSAULT ON AN OFFICER | Roosevelt | 2400 Orleans St |
| 23:48 | SHOTS FIRED | Cordata | 300 Meadowbrook Ct |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 14 arrests yesterday, involving 14 individuals. 3 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 28% of all incidents. Of the 14 arrests, 3 were Theft, 3 were Other Criminal, and 2 were Driving Under the Influence. This is down 12% from the 16 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:53 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Downtown |
| 02:55 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Downtown |
| 09:22 | THEFT | Theft | Downtown |
| 10:17 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Birchwood |
| 10:18 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Court Order Violations | Happy Valley |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 15 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 9 incidents, followed by Downtown with 8 and Roosevelt with 7.
4 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 100 E Holly St (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 10 AM – 11 AM with 5 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 12, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 18, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 14. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Sundays in Bellingham typically average 37 incidents. Yesterday's total of 50 is 13 incidents above that 8-week average (36% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 48.1 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 38.0 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Sunday (7 days), this week has recorded 355 incidents — 12% more than the 316 reported at the same point last week. If the pace holds, the week could finish well above last week’s total.
Driving Under the Influence Up 200% This Week
Driving Under the Influence incidents have risen sharply: 9 in the past 7 days compared to 3 the prior 7 days — a 200% increase. Today alone saw 2 driving under the influence incidents.
Unusually Busy for a Sunday
50 incidents is 36% above the 8-week Sunday average of 37. That's 13 more incidents than expected. This marks 7 consecutive days above the rolling average.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 50 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Sunday, January 18th, 2026. Published Monday, January 19th, 2026.
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