What Happened in Bellingham on Thursday, May 21st, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 41 incidents, up 24% from 33 the day before. 4 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 8 arrests.
The most common incident type was Behavioral Health, accounting for 8 of 41 reports (20% of total). The most active neighborhood was Downtown with 12 incidents.
Overall activity was 30% above the 30-day average of 32 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Behavioral Health led with 8 incidents (20% of total), followed by Suspicious Circumstance with 6 and Other Non-criminal with 6.
Vehicle Prowl — up 200% over the past 7 days (3 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
Overview
Violent Crime
4 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 10% of all incidents. This is up 300% from the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:23 | ASSAULT - Felony | Downtown | 200 Central Ave |
| 17:20 | ROBBERY | Downtown | 200 E Magnolia St |
| 19:09 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | York | 400 York St |
| 21:07 | BURGLARY | Downtown | 1800 Cornwall Ave |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 8 arrests yesterday, involving 8 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 20% of all incidents. Of the 8 arrests, 2 were Drugs & Narcotics, 2 were Warrant Arrest, and 1 was Driving Under the Influence. This is unchanged from the 8 arrests the prior day.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:32 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | York | 1500 Block of N State St |
| 14:00 | DRUG - NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS | Downtown | 1800 Block of Cornwall Ave |
| 15:40 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Roosevelt | 2600 Block of Undine St |
| 17:10 | WARRANT ARREST | Downtown | 200 Block of E Laurel St |
| 17:20 | ROBBERYViolent | Downtown | 200 Block of E Magnolia St |
| View All | |||
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 16 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Downtown had the highest activity with 12 incidents, followed by Lettered Streets with 5 and York with 3.
Downtown accounted for 29% 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 11 AM – 12 PM with 5 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 2am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 3 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 11, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 15, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 12. Afternoon was the busiest period overall.
Thursdays in Bellingham typically average 35 incidents. Yesterday's total of 41 is 6 incidents above that 8-week average (19% higher).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 32.0 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 31.6 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
This Week Is Pacing Higher Than Last
Through Thursday (4 days), this week has recorded 154 incidents — 28% more than the 120 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 3 Straight Days
Downtown has been the most active neighborhood for 3 consecutive days. Today it logged 12 incidents (29% of the city total).
Traffic Collision Up 100% This Week
Traffic Collision incidents have risen sharply: 6 in the past 7 days compared to 3 the prior 7 days — a 100% increase. Today alone saw 3 traffic collision incidents.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 41 incidents posted on BPD Activity Reports on Thursday, May 21st, 2026.
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