What Happened in Bellingham on Saturday, March 21st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 47 incidents, down 6% from 50 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 16 arrests.
The most common incident type was Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical), accounting for 8 of 47 reports (17% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 19 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 49 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) led with 8 incidents (17% of total), followed by Graffiti with 8 and Behavioral Health with 6.
Trespass — up 250% over the past 7 days (7 incidents this week vs 2 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 4% of all incidents. This is down 60% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | THREATS | Birchwood | 2900 W Maplewood Ave |
| 23:49 | WEAPON VIOLATIONS | Downtown | 1200 Railroad Ave |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 16 arrests yesterday, involving 16 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 34% of all incidents. Of the 16 arrests, 6 were Trespass, 6 were Theft, and 2 were Driving Under the Influence. This is up 60% from the 10 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:46 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Happy Valley | 2400 Block of Donovan Ave |
| 10:49 | TRESPASS | Downtown | 1300 Block of Commercial St |
| 11:20 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Downtown | 1800 Block of Cornwall Ave |
| 12:06 | TRESPASS | Meridian | 500 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
| 12:06 | TRESPASS | Meridian | 500 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 19 incidents, followed by Meridian with 8 and Puget with 3.
Downtown accounted for 40% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
3 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 8 PM – 9 PM with 8 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 5 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 11, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 12, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 19. Evening was the busiest period overall.
Saturdays in Bellingham typically average 48 incidents. Yesterday's total of 47 is 1 incident below that 8-week average (2% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 50.9 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 49.0 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Saturday (6 days), this week has recorded 309 incidents — 11% more than the 279 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 9 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 9 consecutive days. Today it logged 19 incidents (40% of the city total).
Trespass Up 250% This Week
Trespass incidents have risen sharply: 7 in the past 7 days compared to 2 the prior 7 days — a 250% increase. Today alone saw 3 trespass incidents.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 47 incidents posted on BPD Activity Reports on Saturday, March 21st, 2026.
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