What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 33 incidents, down 25% from 44 the day before. 5 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 13 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 16 of 33 reports (48% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 8 incidents.
Overall activity was 17% above the 30-day average of 28 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 7 categories. Administrative led with 16 incidents (48% of total), followed by Theft & Burglary with 5 and Disorder with 4.
Administrative alone accounted for more incidents than the next 3 categories combined, which totaled 13.
Trending: Theft & Burglary is up 48% over the past 7 days (37 incidents this week vs 25 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
5 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 15% of all incidents. This is up 67% from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was BURGLARY with 3 of 5 incidents, followed by ASSAULT - Misdemeanor with 2. Of 5 violent incidents, 2 resulted in an arrest — a 40% arrest rate.
3 of 5 violent incidents occurred in Meridian, making it the focal point for violent activity.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:10 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 200 Block of E Bakerview Rd |
| 17:08 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Downtown | 1800 Block of Cornwall Ave |
| 20:08 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Meridian | 4300 Block of Tull Rd |
| 21:08 | BURGLARYViolent | Birchwood | 3100 Block of Cherrywood Ave |
| 22:59 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 1200 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 13 arrests yesterday, involving 10 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 39% of all incidents. Of the 13 arrests, 5 were Administrative, 4 were Theft & Burglary, and 2 were Disorder. This is up 8% from the 12 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:02 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 09:11 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Barkley |
| 09:39 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | York |
| 09:49 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Alcohol | York |
| 15:35 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Lettered Streets |
| 16:12 | MALICIOUS MISCHIEF | Disorder | Roosevelt |
| 17:08 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Downtown |
| 18:28 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 18:28 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 18:28 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 22:59 | BURGLARY | Theft & BurglaryViolent | Meridian |
| 22:59 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 23:27 | TRESPASS | Disorder | Downtown |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 8 incidents, followed by Downtown with 4 and Lettered Streets with 4.
1 specific location has appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 4200 Block of Meridian St (4 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 9 AM – 10 AM with 6 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 2 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 7, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 11, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 13. Evening was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 36 incidents. Yesterday's total of 33 is 3 below that 8-week average (8% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 33.6 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 28.3 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Theft & Burglary Up 48% This Week
Theft & Burglary incidents have risen sharply: 37 in the past 7 days compared to 25 the prior 7 days — a 48% increase. Today alone saw 5 theft & burglary incidents.
5 Days Above Average
Bellingham has reported above-average incident counts for 5 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 28 per day; today's 33 continues the trend. This week is already at 107 incidents compared to 103 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 33 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026. Published Thursday, January 22nd, 2026.
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What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 33 incidents, down 25% from 44 the day before. 5 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 13 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 16 of 33 reports (48% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 8 incidents.
Overall activity was 17% above the 30-day average of 28 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 7 categories. Administrative led with 16 incidents (48% of total), followed by Theft & Burglary with 5 and Disorder with 4.
Administrative alone accounted for more incidents than the next 3 categories combined, which totaled 13.
Trending: Theft & Burglary is up 48% over the past 7 days (37 incidents this week vs 25 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
5 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 15% of all incidents. This is up 67% from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was BURGLARY with 3 of 5 incidents, followed by ASSAULT - Misdemeanor with 2. Of 5 violent incidents, 2 resulted in an arrest — a 40% arrest rate.
3 of 5 violent incidents occurred in Meridian, making it the focal point for violent activity.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:10 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 200 Block of E Bakerview Rd |
| 17:08 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Downtown | 1800 Block of Cornwall Ave |
| 20:08 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Meridian | 4300 Block of Tull Rd |
| 21:08 | BURGLARYViolent | Birchwood | 3100 Block of Cherrywood Ave |
| 22:59 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 1200 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 13 arrests yesterday, involving 10 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 39% of all incidents. Of the 13 arrests, 5 were Administrative, 4 were Theft & Burglary, and 2 were Disorder. This is up 8% from the 12 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:02 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 09:11 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Barkley |
| 09:39 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | York |
| 09:49 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Alcohol | York |
| 15:35 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Lettered Streets |
| 16:12 | MALICIOUS MISCHIEF | Disorder | Roosevelt |
| 17:08 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Downtown |
| 18:28 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 18:28 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 18:28 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 22:59 | BURGLARY | Theft & BurglaryViolent | Meridian |
| 22:59 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 23:27 | TRESPASS | Disorder | Downtown |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 8 incidents, followed by Downtown with 4 and Lettered Streets with 4.
1 specific location has appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 4200 Block of Meridian St (4 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 9 AM – 10 AM with 6 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 2 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 7, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 11, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 13. Evening was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 36 incidents. Yesterday's total of 33 is 3 below that 8-week average (8% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 33.6 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 28.3 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Theft & Burglary Up 48% This Week
Theft & Burglary incidents have risen sharply: 37 in the past 7 days compared to 25 the prior 7 days — a 48% increase. Today alone saw 5 theft & burglary incidents.
5 Days Above Average
Bellingham has reported above-average incident counts for 5 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 28 per day; today's 33 continues the trend. This week is already at 107 incidents compared to 103 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 33 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026. Published Thursday, January 22nd, 2026.
Get the daily briefing
Free, every morning.