What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 49 incidents, up 29% from 38 the day before. 3 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 19 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 8 of 49 reports (16% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 11 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 50 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 8 incidents (16% of total), followed by Suspicious Circumstance with 6 and Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 6.
Driving Under the Influence — up 150% over the past 7 days (10 incidents this week vs 4 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.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17:31 | BURGLARY | Puget | 800 Lakeway Dr |
| 18:47 | WEAPON VIOLATIONS | Meridian | 1000 W Bakerview Rd |
| 19:31 | BURGLARY | Cordata | 300 Grady Way |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 19 arrests yesterday, involving 19 individuals. 5 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 39% of all incidents. Of the 19 arrests, 4 were Burglary, 3 were Traffic Stops, and 2 were Court Order Violations. This is up 111% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:29 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Sunnyland |
| 05:09 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Meridian |
| 11:42 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Court Order Violations | Cordata |
| 14:13 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Lettered Streets |
| 14:27 | SHOPLIFTING | Theft | Meridian |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 20 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 11 incidents, followed by Meridian with 8 and Roosevelt 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 (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 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 3am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 9 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 7, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 21, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 12. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 47 incidents. Yesterday's total of 49 is 2 incidents above that 8-week average (5% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 46.9 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 50.3 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Lower Than Last
Through Wednesday (3 days), this week has recorded 126 incidents — 28% fewer than the 175 reported at the same point last week. The current pace suggests this week may finish below last week.
Driving Under the Influence Up 150% This Week
Driving Under the Influence incidents have risen sharply: 10 in the past 7 days compared to 4 the prior 7 days — a 150% increase. Today alone saw 2 driving under the influence incidents.
7 Days Below Average
Bellingham has reported below-average incident counts for 7 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 50 per day; today's 49 continues the quieter stretch. This week is at 126 incidents compared to 175 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 49 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. Published Thursday, February 19th, 2026.
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