What Happened in Bellingham on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 59 incidents, up 18% from 50 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 13 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 13 of 59 reports (22% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 16 incidents.
Overall activity was 51% above the 30-day average of 39 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 13 incidents (22% of total), followed by Theft with 9 and Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 6.
Disorderly Behavior (Physical) — up 200% over the past 7 days (3 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 3% of all incidents. This is up 100% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:52 | BURGLARY | Sehome | 400 E Holly St |
| 23:43 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 100 E Holly St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 13 arrests yesterday, involving 13 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 22% of all incidents. Of the 13 arrests, 4 were Warrant Arrest, 4 were Theft, and 2 were Court Order Violations. This is down 7% from the 14 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:37 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Puget |
| 08:08 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Court Order Violations | Happy Valley |
| 09:00 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Meridian |
| 11:52 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft | Meridian |
| 12:00 | THEFT | Theft | Barkley |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 16 incidents, followed by Meridian with 8 and Lettered Streets with 6.
Downtown accounted for 27% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
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 (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 7 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 6 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 16, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 23, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 14. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Tuesdays in Bellingham typically average 46 incidents. Yesterday's total of 59 is 13 incidents above that 8-week average (27% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 50.1 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 39.1 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Tuesday (2 days), this week has recorded 109 incidents — 11% more than the 98 reported at the same point last week. If the pace holds, the week could finish well above last week’s total.
Burglary Up 100% This Week
Burglary incidents have risen sharply: 8 in the past 7 days compared to 4 the prior 7 days — a 100% increase.
Unusually Busy for a Tuesday
59 incidents is 28% above the 8-week Tuesday average of 46. That's 13 more incidents than expected. This marks 9 consecutive days above the rolling average.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 59 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. Published Wednesday, January 21st, 2026.
Get the daily briefing
Free, every morning.