What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 33 incidents, down 13% from 38 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 3 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 10 of 33 reports (30% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 11 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 34 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 10 incidents (30% of total), followed by Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 4 and Missing Person with 3.
Vehicle Related — up 300% over the past 7 days (4 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 6% of all incidents. This is up 100% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:01 | BURGLARY | Meridian | 200 W Kellogg Rd |
| 16:53 | ROAD RAGE | Downtown | 100 W Holly St |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 3 arrests yesterday, involving 3 individuals.
Arrests accounted for 9% of all incidents. Of the 3 arrests, 2 were Drugs & Narcotics, 1 was Warrant Arrest. This is down 62% from the 8 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:11 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Downtown | 1300 Block of Commercial St |
| 22:53 | WARRANT ARREST | Cornwall Park | 3700 Block of Meridian St |
| 23:20 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Downtown | 100 Block of E Magnolia St |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 11 incidents, followed by Puget with 2 and Barkley with 2.
Downtown accounted for 33% 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 3 PM – 4 PM 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 10, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 14, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 5. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 44 incidents. Yesterday's total of 33 is 11 incidents below that 8-week average (24% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 30.9 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 34.4 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Traffic Collision Up 133% This Week
Traffic Collision incidents have risen sharply: 7 in the past 7 days compared to 3 the prior 7 days — a 133% increase.
Unusually Quiet for a Thursday
33 incidents is 24% below the 8-week Thursday average of 44. That's 11 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 33 incidents posted on BPD Activity Reports on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026.
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