What Happened in Bellingham on Monday, January 19th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 50 incidents, unchanged from 50 the day before. 1 violent crime was reported, and officers made 14 arrests.
The most common incident type was Theft, accounting for 9 of 50 reports (18% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 11 incidents.
Overall activity was 31% above the 30-day average of 38 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Theft led with 9 incidents (18% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 9 and Suspicious Circumstance with 6.
Graffiti — up 140% over the past 7 days (12 incidents this week vs 5 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
1 violent crime was reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 2% of all incidents. This is down 75% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17:36 | SHOTS FIRED | Cordata | 4100 Palisade Way |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 14 arrests yesterday, involving 13 individuals.
Arrests accounted for 28% of all incidents. Of the 14 arrests, 6 were Theft, 2 were Driving Under the Influence, and 2 were Traffic Stops. This is unchanged from the 14 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:51 | POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY | Theft | Downtown |
| 01:52 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Puget |
| 10:30 | MALICIOUS MISCHIEF | Other Criminal | Roosevelt |
| 12:29 | THEFT | Theft | Happy Valley |
| 12:49 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Sunnyland |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 15 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 11 incidents, followed by Downtown with 8 and York with 6.
4 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 000 Bellis Fair Pkwy (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 6 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 12am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 6 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 9, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 27, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 8. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Mondays in Bellingham typically average 43 incidents. Yesterday's total of 50 is 7 incidents above that 8-week average (17% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 50.7 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 38.3 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Meridian: Most Active for 3 Straight Days
Meridian has been the most active neighborhood for 3 consecutive days. Today it logged 11 incidents (22% of the city total).
Graffiti Up 140% This Week
Graffiti incidents have risen sharply: 12 in the past 7 days compared to 5 the prior 7 days — a 140% increase.
8 Days Above Average
Bellingham has reported above-average incident counts for 8 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 38 per day; today's 50 continues the trend. This week is already at 50 incidents compared to 54 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 50 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Monday, January 19th, 2026. Published Tuesday, January 20th, 2026.
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