What Happened in Bellingham on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026
Yesterday in Bellingham, police responded to 13 incidents. 2 violent crimes were reported, and officers made 4 arrests.
The most common incident type was Behavioral Health, accounting for 4 of 13 reports (31% of total). The most active neighborhood was Meridian with 4 incidents.
Overall activity was 59% below the 30-day average of 31 incidents per day.
Incident Categories
Yesterday, Bellingham reported incidents across 8 categories. Behavioral Health led with 4 incidents (31% of total), followed by Domestic Violence (no assault) with 2 and Other Non-criminal with 2.
Vehicle Prowl — up 200% over the past 7 days (3 incidents this week vs 1 the prior week).
Incident Category Breakdown
Overview
Violent Crime
2 violent crimes were reported in Bellingham yesterday, accounting for 15% of all incidents.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03:36 | ASSAULT - Misdemeanor | Edgemoor | 100 Hawthorn Rd |
| 20:57 | BURGLARY | Meridian | 300 E Bellis Fair Pkwy |
Arrests
Bellingham police made 4 arrests yesterday, involving 4 individuals. 2 arrests were related to violent incidents.
Arrests accounted for 31% of all incidents. Of the 4 arrests, 1 was Driving Under the Influence, 1 was Assault — Misdemeanor, and 1 was Warrant Arrest.
| Time | Offense | Neighborhood | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02:53 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | Downtown | 200 Block of W Holly St |
| 03:36 | ASSAULT - MisdemeanorViolent | Edgemoor | 100 Block of Hawthorn Rd |
| 17:35 | WARRANT ARREST | Meridian | 4300 Block of Meridian St |
| 20:57 | BURGLARYViolent | Meridian | 300 Block of E Bellis Fair Pkwy |
Neighborhood Activity
Yesterday, incidents were reported across 9 neighborhoods in Bellingham. Meridian had the highest activity with 4 incidents, followed by Downtown with 2 and York with 1.
Meridian accounted for 31% of all incidents — a quarter or more of the city's activity in a single neighborhood.
1 specific location has appeared in the top 10 most active blocks for 4 or more of the last 7 days, including 500 Grand Ave (4 of 7 days).
Explore all neighborhoods and their trends in Bellingham Neighborhood Safety. →
Hourly Breakdown
Activity in Bellingham yesterday peaked between 2 AM – 3 AM with 2 incidents during that hour. The quietest period was 12am with no incidents reported.
Overnight (12–6 AM) saw 5 incidents, morning (6 AM–12 PM) had 2, afternoon (12–6 PM) had 3, and evening (6 PM–12 AM) had 3. Overnight was the busiest period overall.
Saturdays in Bellingham typically average 26 incidents. Yesterday's total of 13 is 13 incidents below that 8-week average (51% lower).
How Does This Compare?
The 7-day rolling average is 32.6 incidents per day, above the 30-day average of 31.4 — suggesting a busier-than-normal stretch.
Key Patterns
30-Day Low: 13 Incidents
Today's 13 incidents is the lowest single-day count in the past 30 days. The 30-day average is 31 per day — today is 58% below that baseline. The last time the count was this low was 59 days ago.
Driving Under the Influence Up 100% This Week
Driving Under the Influence incidents have risen sharply: 10 in the past 7 days compared to 5 the prior 7 days — a 100% increase. Today alone saw 1 driving under the influence incident.
Unusually Quiet for a Saturday
13 incidents is 51% below the 8-week Saturday average of 26. That's 13 fewer incidents than expected.
Full Incident Log
This log contains all 13 incidents posted on BPD Activity Reports on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026.
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