What Happened in Bellingham on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 38 incidents, down 3% from 39 the day before. No violent crimes were reported, and officers made 9 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 10 of 38 reports (26% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 6 incidents.
Overall activity was 25% below the 30-day average of 51 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 10 incidents (26% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 5 and Traffic Stops with 4.
Vehicle Related — up 250% over the past 7 days (7 incidents this week vs 2 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
No violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday.
Arrests
Bellingham police made 9 arrests yesterday, involving 8 individuals.
Arrests accounted for 24% of all incidents. Of the 9 arrests, 4 were Traffic Stops, 2 were Warrant Arrest, and 1 was Traffic Collision. This is down 25% from the 12 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:20 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Columbia |
| 11:10 | COLLISION - AUTO | Traffic Collision | Roosevelt |
| 14:50 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Meridian |
| 15:18 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Roosevelt |
| 19:15 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Birchwood |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 6 incidents, followed by Lettered Streets with 5 and Meridian with 4.
2 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 11 AM – 12 PM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 1 incident, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 12, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 14, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 11. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Tuesdays in Bellingham typically average 50 incidents. Yesterday's total of 38 is 12 incidents below that 8-week average (24% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 49.9 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 50.7 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Lower Than Last
Through Tuesday (2 days), this week has recorded 77 incidents — 32% fewer than the 113 reported at the same point last week. The current pace suggests this week may finish below last week.
Vehicle Related Up 250% This Week
Vehicle Related incidents have risen sharply: 7 in the past 7 days compared to 2 the prior 7 days — a 250% increase.
Unusually Quiet for a Tuesday
38 incidents is 24% below the 8-week Tuesday average of 50. That's 12 fewer incidents than expected. This marks 6 consecutive days below the rolling average.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 38 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026. Published Wednesday, February 18th, 2026.
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