What Happened in Bellingham on Monday, March 16th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 42 incidents, down 11% from 47 the day before. 5 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 9 arrests.
The most common incident type was Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical), accounting for 9 of 42 reports (21% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 13 incidents.
Overall activity was 12% below the 30-day average of 48 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) led with 9 incidents (21% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 8 and Theft with 4.
Assault — Felony — up 500% over the past 7 days (6 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Other Non-criminal”?
Overview
Violent Crime
5 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 12% of all incidents. This is up 25% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02:02 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Meridian | 4100 Deemer Rd |
| 10:01 | BURGLARY | Fairhaven | 800 Harris Ave |
| 14:43 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Birchwood | 3000 Lindbergh Ave |
| 21:58 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Puget | 1200 Whatcom St |
| 22:25 | ASSAULT - Felony | Cornwall Park | 2900 Squalicum Pkwy |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 9 arrests yesterday, involving 9 individuals. 4 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 21% of all incidents. Of the 9 arrests, 3 were Assault — Misdemeanor, 2 were Warrant Arrest, and 2 were Theft. This is down 31% from the 13 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:23 | WARRANT ARREST | Warrant Arrest | Meridian |
| 02:02 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault — MisdemeanorViolent | Meridian |
| 12:10 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Downtown |
| 14:03 | THEFT | Theft | Meridian |
| 14:43 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault — MisdemeanorViolent | Birchwood |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 13 incidents, followed by Meridian with 5 and Roosevelt with 4.
Downtown accounted for 31% 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 2900 Squalicum Pkwy (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 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 3am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 6 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 12, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 16, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 8. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Mondays in Bellingham typically average 51 incidents. Yesterday's total of 42 is 9 incidents below that 8-week average (18% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 46.6 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 47.5 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Downtown: Most Active for 4 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 4 consecutive days. Today it logged 13 incidents (31% of the city total).
Assault — Felony Up 500% This Week
Assault — Felony incidents have risen sharply: 6 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 500% increase.
4 Days Below Average
Bellingham has reported below-average incident counts for 4 consecutive days. The 30-day average is 48 per day; today's 42 continues the quieter stretch. This week is at 42 incidents compared to 42 at this point last week.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 42 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Monday, March 16th, 2026. Published Tuesday, March 17th, 2026.
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