What Happened in Bellingham on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 33 incidents, down 20% from 41 the day before. 1 violent crime was reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical), accounting for 5 of 33 reports (15% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 7 incidents.
Activity was roughly in line with the 30-day average of 31 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical) led with 5 incidents (15% of total), followed by Other Non-criminal with 5 and Theft with 5.
Assault — Felony — up 400% over the past 7 days (5 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
Overview
Violent Crime
1 violent crime was reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 3% of all incidents. This is down 80% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22:53 | ARSON - RECKLESS BURNING | Downtown | 200 Central Ave |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 8 individuals. 1 arrest was related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 24% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 3 were Theft, 2 were Trespass, and 2 were Warrant Arrest. This is up 167% from the 3 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:40 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | York | 1300 Block of N State St |
| 12:11 | THEFT OF A BICYCLE | Meridian | 1000 Block of W Bakerview Rd |
| 13:45 | TRESPASS | Roosevelt | 1100 Block of Iowa St |
| 13:53 | TRESPASS | Roosevelt | 1100 Block of Iowa St |
| 17:35 | THEFT | Meridian | 4400 Block of Meridian St |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 7 incidents, followed by Roosevelt with 4 and York with 3.
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 7 PM – 8 PM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 2 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 10, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 9, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 12. Evening was the busiest period overall.
Wednesdays in Bellingham typically average 32 incidents. Yesterday's total of 33 is 1 incident above that 8-week average (2% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 29.6 incidents per day, below the 30-day average of 31.4 — suggesting a quieter-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Wednesday (3 days), this week has recorded 113 incidents — 36% more than the 83 reported at the same point last week. If the pace holds, the week could finish well above last week’s total.
Assault — Felony Up 400% This Week
Assault — Felony incidents have risen sharply: 5 in the past 7 days compared to 1 the prior 7 days — a 400% increase.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 33 incidents posted on BPD Activity Reports on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026.
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