What Happened in Bellingham on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 54 incidents, up 29% from 42 the day before. No violent crimes were reported, and officers made 17 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 12 of 54 reports (22% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 14 incidents.
Overall activity was 14% above the 30-day average of 47 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 12 incidents (22% of total), followed by Theft with 7 and Other Criminal 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
No violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday.
Arrests
Bellingham police made 17 arrests yesterday, involving 16 individuals.
Arrests accounted for 31% of all incidents. Of the 17 arrests, 4 were Theft, 3 were Warrant Arrest, and 2 were Other Criminal. This is up 89% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:56 | FALSE STATEMENT OR REPORTING | Other Criminal | Happy Valley |
| 06:18 | THEFT | Theft | Downtown |
| 07:40 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Narcotics | Downtown |
| 09:22 | TRESPASS | Trespass | Downtown |
| 09:25 | TRESPASS | Trespass | Downtown |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 20 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 14 incidents, followed by Meridian with 9 and Lettered Streets with 6.
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 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 8 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 5am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 6 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 15, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 24, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 9. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Tuesdays in Bellingham typically average 51 incidents. Yesterday's total of 54 is 3 incidents above that 8-week average (6% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 46.6 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 47.2 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Tuesday (2 days), this week has recorded 96 incidents — 19% more than the 81 reported at the same point last week. If the pace holds, the week could finish well above last week’s total.
Downtown: Most Active for 5 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 5 consecutive days. Today it logged 14 incidents (26% 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.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 54 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026. Published Wednesday, March 18th, 2026.
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