What Happened in Bellingham on Monday, May 18th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 39 incidents, up 34% from 29 the day before. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 3 arrests.
The most common incident type was Other Non-criminal, accounting for 15 of 39 reports (38% of total). The most active neighborhood was Lettered Streets with 7 incidents.
Overall activity was 30% above the 30-day average of 30 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Other Non-criminal led with 15 incidents (38% of total), followed by Behavioral Health with 7 and Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) with 5.
Harassment — up 400% over the past 7 days (5 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 5% of all incidents. This is down 33% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04:16 | BURGLARY | Cordata | 400 Sequoia Dr |
| 23:06 | RAPE OF A CHILD | Cornwall Park | 2900 Squalicum Pkwy |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 3 arrests yesterday, involving 3 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 8% of all incidents. Of the 3 arrests, 2 were Warrant Arrest, 1 was Drugs & Narcotics, and 1 was Rape. This is down 57% from the 7 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Downtown | 200 Block of E Magnolia St |
| 22:16 | WARRANT ARREST | Columbia | 3200 Block of Northwest Ave |
| 23:06 | RAPE OF A CHILDViolent | Cornwall Park | 2900 Block of Squalicum Pkwy |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 14 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Lettered Streets had the highest activity with 7 incidents, followed by Downtown with 5 and Columbia with 4.
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 9 AM – 10 AM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 1am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 2 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 16, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 12, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 9. Morning was the busiest period overall.
Mondays in Bellingham typically average 32 incidents. Yesterday's total of 39 is 7 incidents above that 8-week average (21% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 27.7 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 30.1 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
Harassment Up 400% This Week
Harassment incidents have risen sharply: 5 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 400% increase.
Unusually Busy for a Monday
39 incidents is 21% above the 8-week Monday average of 32. That's 7 more incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 39 incidents posted on BPD Activity Reports on Monday, May 18th, 2026.
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