What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 26 incidents, down 32% from 38 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 6 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 11 of 26 reports (42% of total). The most active neighborhood was Puget with 5 incidents.
Overall activity was 11% below the 30-day average of 29 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 7 categories. Administrative led with 11 incidents (42% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 4 and Disorder with 3.
Administrative alone accounted for more incidents than the next 3 categories combined, which totaled 10.
Trending: Behavioral Health is up 35% over the past 7 days (31 incidents this week vs 23 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 15% of all incidents. This is unchanged from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was ASSAULT - Misdemeanor with 2 of 4 incidents, followed by FIGHT with 1. Of 4 violent incidents, 1 resulted in an arrest — a 25% arrest rate.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:18 | FIGHTViolent | Downtown | 1300 Block of Railroad Ave |
| 13:36 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Meridian | 4000 Block of Meridian St |
| 16:21 | THREATSViolent | Happy Valley | 2300 Block of Larrabee Ave |
| 20:23 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Puget | 1200 Block of Whatcom St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 6 arrests yesterday, involving 6 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 23% of all incidents. Of the 6 arrests, 2 were Administrative, 2 were Theft & Burglary, and 1 was Disorder. This is down 40% from the 10 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:39 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 15:45 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 17:35 | TRESPASS | Disorder | Puget |
| 19:48 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 20:23 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Puget |
| 22:52 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Happy Valley |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 11 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Puget had the highest activity with 5 incidents, followed by Downtown with 5 and Meridian with 3.
3 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Block of 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 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 12am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 1 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 5, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 15, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 5. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 34 incidents. Yesterday's total of 26 is 8 below that 8-week average (22% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 28.4 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 29.2 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Lower Than Last
Through Wednesday (3 days), this week has recorded 94 incidents — 12% fewer than the 107 reported at the same point last week. The current pace suggests this week may finish below last week.
Behavioral Health Up 35% This Week
Behavioral Health incidents have risen sharply: 31 in the past 7 days compared to 23 the prior 7 days — a 35% increase. Today alone saw 4 behavioral health incidents.
Unusually Quiet for a Wednesday
26 incidents is 22% below the 8-week Wednesday average of 34. That's 8 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 26 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. Published Thursday, January 29th, 2026.
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What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 26 incidents, down 32% from 38 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 6 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 11 of 26 reports (42% of total). The most active neighborhood was Puget with 5 incidents.
Overall activity was 11% below the 30-day average of 29 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 7 categories. Administrative led with 11 incidents (42% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 4 and Disorder with 3.
Administrative alone accounted for more incidents than the next 3 categories combined, which totaled 10.
Trending: Behavioral Health is up 35% over the past 7 days (31 incidents this week vs 23 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 15% of all incidents. This is unchanged from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was ASSAULT - Misdemeanor with 2 of 4 incidents, followed by FIGHT with 1. Of 4 violent incidents, 1 resulted in an arrest — a 25% arrest rate.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:18 | FIGHTViolent | Downtown | 1300 Block of Railroad Ave |
| 13:36 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Meridian | 4000 Block of Meridian St |
| 16:21 | THREATSViolent | Happy Valley | 2300 Block of Larrabee Ave |
| 20:23 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Puget | 1200 Block of Whatcom St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 6 arrests yesterday, involving 6 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 23% of all incidents. Of the 6 arrests, 2 were Administrative, 2 were Theft & Burglary, and 1 was Disorder. This is down 40% from the 10 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:39 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 15:45 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 17:35 | TRESPASS | Disorder | Puget |
| 19:48 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 20:23 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Puget |
| 22:52 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Happy Valley |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 11 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Puget had the highest activity with 5 incidents, followed by Downtown with 5 and Meridian with 3.
3 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Block of 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 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 12am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 1 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 5, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 15, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 5. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 34 incidents. Yesterday's total of 26 is 8 below that 8-week average (22% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 28.4 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 29.2 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Lower Than Last
Through Wednesday (3 days), this week has recorded 94 incidents — 12% fewer than the 107 reported at the same point last week. The current pace suggests this week may finish below last week.
Behavioral Health Up 35% This Week
Behavioral Health incidents have risen sharply: 31 in the past 7 days compared to 23 the prior 7 days — a 35% increase. Today alone saw 4 behavioral health incidents.
Unusually Quiet for a Wednesday
26 incidents is 22% below the 8-week Wednesday average of 34. That's 8 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 26 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. Published Thursday, January 29th, 2026.
Get the daily briefing
Free, every morning.