What Happened in Bellingham on Friday, March 20th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 27 incidents, down 29% from 38 the day before. 1 violent crime was reported, and officers made 6 arrests.
The most common incident type was Disorder, accounting for 7 of 27 reports (26% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 6 incidents.
Overall activity was 22% below the 30-day average of 35 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Disorder led with 7 incidents (26% of total), followed by Administrative with 7 and Traffic & Vehicles with 4.
Drugs & Alcohol — up 267% over the past 7 days (11 incidents this week vs 3 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
What's in “Administrative”?
Overview
Violent Crime
1 violent crime was reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 4% of all incidents. This is unchanged from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:39 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Birchwood | 2700 Block of W Maplewood Ave |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 6 arrests yesterday, involving 6 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 22% of all incidents. Of the 6 arrests, 2 were Traffic & Vehicles, 1 was Harassment & Threats, and 1 was Assault & Violence. This is down 33% from the 9 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:37 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Traffic & Vehicles | Columbia |
| 00:59 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Traffic & Vehicles | Barkley |
| 10:40 | VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER | Harassment & Threats | Downtown |
| 11:39 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Assault & ViolenceViolent | Birchwood |
| 13:07 | THEFT | Theft & Burglary | Meridian |
| 17:05 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Lettered Streets |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 10 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 6 incidents, followed by Meridian with 4 and Lettered Streets with 4.
1 specific location has appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Block of Grand Ave (6 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 10 AM – 11 AM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 4 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 11, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 8, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 4. Morning was the busiest period overall.
Fridays in Bellingham typically average 32 incidents. Yesterday's total of 27 is 5 incidents below that 8-week average (16% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 38.7 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 34.6 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Friday (5 days), this week has recorded 179 incidents — 17% more than the 153 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 7 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 7 consecutive days. Today it logged 6 incidents (22% of the city total).
Drugs & Alcohol Up 267% This Week
Drugs & Alcohol incidents have risen sharply: 11 in the past 7 days compared to 3 the prior 7 days — a 267% increase.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 27 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Friday, March 20th, 2026. Published Saturday, March 21st, 2026.
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