What Happened in Bellingham on Saturday, January 24th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 51 incidents, up 16% from 44 the day before. 3 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 6 arrests.
The most common incident type was Graffiti, accounting for 13 of 51 reports (25% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 16 incidents.
Overall activity was 21% above the 30-day average of 42 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Graffiti led with 13 incidents (25% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 8 and Theft with 6.
Vehicle Related — 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
3 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 6% of all incidents. This is up 200% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:36 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 300 E Chestnut St |
| 13:00 | RAPE | Roosevelt | 2400 Pacific St |
| 19:53 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 100 E Holly St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 6 arrests yesterday, involving 6 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 12% of all incidents. Of the 6 arrests, 2 were Theft, 2 were Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical), and 1 was Other Criminal. This is down 40% from the 10 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:31 | MALICIOUS MISCHIEF | Other Criminal | York |
| 15:36 | THEFT | Theft | Meridian |
| 19:53 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault — MisdemeanorViolent | Downtown |
| 21:34 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft | Meridian |
| 23:13 | DISORDERLY CONDUCT | Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) | Downtown |
| 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 Puget with 4.
Downtown accounted for 31% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
5 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Grand Ave (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 5 PM – 6 PM with 13 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 5 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 6, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 23, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 17. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Saturdays in Bellingham typically average 35 incidents. Yesterday's total of 51 is 16 incidents above that 8-week average (44% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 50.1 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 42.1 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Graffiti Up 100% This Week
Graffiti incidents have risen sharply: 26 in the past 7 days compared to 13 the prior 7 days — a 100% increase. Today alone saw 13 graffiti incidents.
Unusually Busy for a Saturday
51 incidents is 45% above the 8-week Saturday average of 35. That's 16 more incidents than expected. This marks 2 consecutive days above the rolling average.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 51 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Saturday, January 24th, 2026. Published Sunday, January 25th, 2026.
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