What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, January 29th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 35 incidents, up 35% from 26 the day before. 3 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 10 of 35 reports (29% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 9 incidents.
Overall activity was 20% above the 30-day average of 29 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Administrative led with 10 incidents (29% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 8 and Disorder with 5.
Administrative and Behavioral Health were virtually tied, separated by just 2 incidents.
Trending: Behavioral Health is up 81% over the past 7 days (38 incidents this week vs 21 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
3 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 9% of all incidents. This is down 25% from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was ROAD RAGE with 1 of 3 incidents, followed by BURGLARY with 1. Of 3 violent incidents, 1 resulted in an arrest — a 33% arrest rate.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:11 | ROAD RAGEViolent | Happy Valley | 2400 Block of Mckenzie Ave |
| 16:58 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 1200 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
| 21:55 | THREATSViolent | Barkley | 3600 Block of Sussex Dr |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 7 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 23% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 3 were Theft & Burglary, 2 were Harassment & Threats, and 1 was Traffic & Vehicles. This is up 33% from the 6 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:23 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic & Vehicles | Barkley |
| 13:59 | TROUBLE WITH A PERSON | Disorder | Meridian |
| 15:56 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 16:58 | BURGLARY | Theft & BurglaryViolent | Meridian |
| 17:00 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 20:06 | OBSTRUCTING A LAW ENF OFFICER | Harassment & Threats | Meridian |
| 20:09 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 20:46 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Harassment & Threats | Meridian |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 14 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 9 incidents, followed by Downtown with 6 and Happy Valley with 4.
Meridian accounted for 26% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
3 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 800 Block of Lakeway Dr (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 1 PM – 2 PM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 3 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 7, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 14, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 11. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 32 incidents. Yesterday's total of 35 is 3 above that 8-week average (8% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 27.4 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 29.2 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Behavioral Health Up 81% This Week
Behavioral Health incidents have risen sharply: 38 in the past 7 days compared to 21 the prior 7 days — a 81% increase. Today alone saw 8 behavioral health incidents.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 35 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Thursday, January 29th, 2026. Published Friday, January 30th, 2026.
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What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, January 29th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 35 incidents, up 35% from 26 the day before. 3 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 10 of 35 reports (29% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 9 incidents.
Overall activity was 20% above the 30-day average of 29 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Administrative led with 10 incidents (29% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 8 and Disorder with 5.
Administrative and Behavioral Health were virtually tied, separated by just 2 incidents.
Trending: Behavioral Health is up 81% over the past 7 days (38 incidents this week vs 21 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's In “Administrative”▶
Overview
Violent Crime
3 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 9% of all incidents. This is down 25% from the prior day.
The most common violent offense was ROAD RAGE with 1 of 3 incidents, followed by BURGLARY with 1. Of 3 violent incidents, 1 resulted in an arrest — a 33% arrest rate.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:11 | ROAD RAGEViolent | Happy Valley | 2400 Block of Mckenzie Ave |
| 16:58 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 1200 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
| 21:55 | THREATSViolent | Barkley | 3600 Block of Sussex Dr |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 7 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 23% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 3 were Theft & Burglary, 2 were Harassment & Threats, and 1 was Traffic & Vehicles. This is up 33% from the 6 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:23 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic & Vehicles | Barkley |
| 13:59 | TROUBLE WITH A PERSON | Disorder | Meridian |
| 15:56 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 16:58 | BURGLARY | Theft & BurglaryViolent | Meridian |
| 17:00 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 20:06 | OBSTRUCTING A LAW ENF OFFICER | Harassment & Threats | Meridian |
| 20:09 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft & Burglary | Puget |
| 20:46 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Harassment & Threats | Meridian |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 14 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 9 incidents, followed by Downtown with 6 and Happy Valley with 4.
Meridian accounted for 26% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
3 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 800 Block of Lakeway Dr (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 1 PM – 2 PM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 3 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 7, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 14, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 11. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 32 incidents. Yesterday's total of 35 is 3 above that 8-week average (8% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 27.4 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 29.2 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Behavioral Health Up 81% This Week
Behavioral Health incidents have risen sharply: 38 in the past 7 days compared to 21 the prior 7 days — a 81% increase. Today alone saw 8 behavioral health incidents.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 35 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Thursday, January 29th, 2026. Published Friday, January 30th, 2026.
Get the daily briefing
Free, every morning.