What Happened in Bellingham on Saturday, February 21st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 42 incidents, down 2% from 43 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 10 arrests.
The most common incident type was Theft, accounting for 9 of 42 reports (21% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 7 incidents.
Overall activity was 15% below the 30-day average of 49 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Theft led with 9 incidents (21% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 6 and Traffic Collision with 4.
Death Investigation — up 300% over the past 7 days (8 incidents this week vs 2 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 unchanged from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04:55 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 100 Unity St |
| 19:30 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Cornwall Park | 800 W Orchard Dr |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 10 arrests yesterday, involving 10 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 24% of all incidents. Of the 10 arrests, 3 were Traffic Stops, 2 were Theft, and 2 were Driving Under the Influence. This is down 9% from the 11 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:10 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Sunnyland |
| 01:04 | OBSTRUCTING A LAW ENF OFFICER | Other Criminal | Silver Beach |
| 02:30 | THEFT | Theft | York |
| 02:46 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Barkley |
| 04:55 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault — MisdemeanorViolent | Downtown |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 17 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 7 incidents, followed by York with 5 and Sehome with 5.
2 specific locations have appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 800 Lakeway Dr (5 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 3 PM – 4 PM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 3am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 8 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 7, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 15, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 12. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Saturdays in Bellingham typically average 45 incidents. Yesterday's total of 42 is 3 incidents below that 8-week average (7% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 44.6 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 49.3 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Lower Than Last
Through Saturday (6 days), this week has recorded 262 incidents — 19% fewer than the 322 reported at the same point last week. The current pace suggests this week may finish below last week.
Meridian: Most Active for 3 Straight Days
Meridian has been the most active neighborhood for 3 consecutive days. Today it logged 7 incidents (17% of the city total).
Death Investigation Up 300% This Week
Death Investigation incidents have risen sharply: 8 in the past 7 days compared to 2 the prior 7 days — a 300% increase.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 42 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Saturday, February 21st, 2026. Published Sunday, February 22nd, 2026.
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