What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 25 incidents, down 44% from 45 the day before. 1 violent crime was reported, and officers made 11 arrests.
The most common incident type was Administrative, accounting for 9 of 25 reports (36% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 9 incidents.
Overall activity was 40% below the 30-day average of 42 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Administrative led with 9 incidents (36% of total), followed by Disorder with 3 and Traffic & Vehicles with 3.
Encampment & Public Space — up 400% over the past 7 days (5 incidents this week vs 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20:28 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 300 Block of E Bellis Fair Pkwy |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 11 arrests yesterday, involving 7 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 44% of all incidents. Of the 11 arrests, 5 were Administrative, 3 were Traffic & Vehicles, and 1 was Drugs & Alcohol. This is down 21% from the 14 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Category | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Drugs & Alcohol | Downtown |
| 09:00 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 09:00 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 13:29 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic & Vehicles | Cordata |
| 14:16 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 14:16 | OBSTRUCTING A LAW ENF OFFICER | Harassment & Threats | Downtown |
| 18:51 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Traffic & Vehicles | South Bellingham |
| 20:28 | BURGLARY | BurglaryViolent | Meridian |
| 20:28 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Meridian |
| 22:40 | WARRANT ARREST | Administrative | Downtown |
| 22:40 | TRAFFIC STOP (Violation) | Traffic & Vehicles | Downtown |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 11 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 9 incidents, followed by Meridian with 4 and Irongate with 3.
Downtown accounted for 36% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 9 AM – 10 AM with 4 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 12am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 1 incident, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 9, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 9, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 6. Morning was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 49 incidents. Yesterday's total of 25 is 24 incidents below that 8-week average (49% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 37.0 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 41.9 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Downtown: Most Active for 3 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 3 consecutive days. Today it logged 9 incidents (36% of the city total).
Encampment & Public Space Up 400% This Week
Encampment & Public Space incidents have risen sharply: 5 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 400% increase.
Unusually Quiet for a Thursday
25 incidents is 49% below the 8-week Thursday average of 49. That's 24 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 25 incidents reported to the Bellingham Police Department on Thursday, April 9th, 2026. Published Friday, April 10th, 2026.
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