What Happened in Bellingham on Friday, February 20th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 43 incidents, down 16% from 51 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 11 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 9 of 43 reports (21% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 9 incidents.
Overall activity was 14% below the 30-day average of 50 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 9 incidents (21% of total), followed by Theft with 4 and Graffiti with 3.
Harassment — up 400% over the past 7 days (5 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 5% of all incidents. This is down 33% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:40 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Birchwood | 1400 Birchwood Ave |
| 19:50 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Puget | 1000 York St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 11 arrests yesterday, involving 11 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 26% of all incidents. Of the 11 arrests, 3 were Warrant Arrest, 3 were Theft, and 2 were Traffic Stops. This is up 22% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:10 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Driving Under the Influence | Downtown |
| 02:59 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Barkley |
| 10:48 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Silver Beach |
| 12:37 | THEFT | Theft | Meridian |
| 12:37 | THEFT | Theft | Meridian |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 9 incidents, followed by Downtown with 8 and Puget with 5.
3 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 000 Bellis Fair Pkwy (4 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 7 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 3am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 4 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 10, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 18, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 11. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Fridays in Bellingham typically average 47 incidents. Yesterday's total of 43 is 4 incidents below that 8-week average (8% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 45.1 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 50.0 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Lower Than Last
Through Friday (5 days), this week has recorded 220 incidents — 19% fewer than the 272 reported at the same point last week. The current pace suggests this week may finish below last week.
Harassment Up 400% This Week
Harassment incidents have risen sharply: 5 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 400% increase.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 43 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Friday, February 20th, 2026. Published Saturday, February 21st, 2026.
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