What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 65 incidents, up 10% from 59 the day before. 6 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 15 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 13 of 65 reports (20% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 13 incidents.
Overall activity was 62% above the 30-day average of 40 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 13 incidents (20% of total), followed by Graffiti with 10 and Theft with 7.
Burglary — up 175% over the past 7 days (11 incidents this week vs 4 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
6 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 9% of all incidents. This is up 200% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:10 | BURGLARY | Meridian | 200 E Bakerview Rd |
| 17:08 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 1800 Cornwall Ave |
| 18:07 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 200 Central Ave |
| 20:08 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Meridian | 4300 Tull Rd |
| 21:08 | BURGLARY | Birchwood | 3100 Cherrywood Ave |
| View All | |||
Arrests
Bellingham police made 15 arrests yesterday, involving 15 individuals. 3 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 23% of all incidents. Of the 15 arrests, 6 were Warrant Arrest, 5 were Theft, and 2 were Assault — Misdemeanor. This is up 15% from the 13 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:02 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Downtown |
| 09:11 | THEFT | Theft | Barkley |
| 09:49 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | York |
| 14:29 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Court Order Violations | Meridian |
| 14:37 | THEFT | Theft | Meridian |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 17 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 13 incidents, followed by Lettered Streets with 10 and Downtown with 8.
4 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Grand Ave (6 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 12 PM – 1 PM with 10 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 4 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 11, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 32, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 18. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 42 incidents. Yesterday's total of 65 is 23 incidents above that 8-week average (57% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 52.3 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 40.2 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
30-Day High: 65 Incidents
Today's 65 incidents is the highest single-day count in the past 30 days. The 30-day average is 40 per day — today is 63% above that baseline. Prior to today, the last time the count was this high was 49 days ago.
Burglary Up 175% This Week
Burglary incidents have risen sharply: 11 in the past 7 days compared to 4 the prior 7 days — a 175% increase. Today alone saw 3 burglary incidents.
Unusually Busy for a Wednesday
65 incidents is 57% above the 8-week Wednesday average of 42. That's 23 more incidents than expected. This marks 10 consecutive days above the rolling average.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 65 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026. Published Thursday, January 22nd, 2026.
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