What Happened in Bellingham on Sunday, March 8th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 35 incidents, down 30% from 50 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 10 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 8 of 35 reports (23% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 9 incidents.
Overall activity was 30% below 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 (23% of total), followed by Suspicious Circumstance with 5 and Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 5.
Sex Crime — up 300% over the past 7 days (4 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 11% of all incidents. This is unchanged from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:18 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Columbia | 3200 Northwest Ave |
| 01:51 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Downtown | 200 E Holly St |
| 19:16 | SEX CRIME (NO RAPE) | Meridian | 1000 W Bakerview Rd |
| 21:42 | RAPE OF A CHILD | Meridian | 4000 Kingston St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 10 arrests yesterday, involving 10 individuals. 3 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 29% of all incidents. Of the 10 arrests, 3 were Traffic Stops, 3 were Other Criminal, and 2 were Assault — Misdemeanor. This is up 11% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:18 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault — MisdemeanorViolent | Columbia |
| 01:51 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault — MisdemeanorViolent | Downtown |
| 09:41 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Roosevelt |
| 11:51 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic Stops | Whatcom Falls |
| 13:01 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Downtown |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 9 incidents, followed by Meridian with 4 and Sehome with 3.
Downtown accounted for 26% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
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 12 PM – 1 PM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 9 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 5, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 10, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 11. Evening was the busiest period overall.
Sundays in Bellingham typically average 43 incidents. Yesterday's total of 35 is 8 incidents below that 8-week average (18% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 50.9 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 49.9 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
30-Day Low: 35 Incidents
Today's 35 incidents is the lowest single-day count in the past 30 days. The 30-day average is 50 per day — today is 30% below that baseline. The last time the count was this low was 38 days ago.
Downtown: Most Active for 5 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 5 consecutive days. Today it logged 9 incidents (26% of the city total).
Graffiti Up 167% This Week
Graffiti incidents have risen sharply: 16 in the past 7 days compared to 6 the prior 7 days — a 167% increase.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 35 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Sunday, March 8th, 2026. Published Monday, March 9th, 2026.
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