Yesterday in Bellingham - 33 incidents & an arson arrest near City Hall
Civic Informer
CIVIC INFORMER
 
Bellingham, WA
COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE
 
 
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Good morning, Bellingham!
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Wednesday's most serious incident came late in the day, a 43-year-old arrested for "Arson - reckless burning" on the 200 Block of Central Ave near City Hall, just before 11 PM. Aside from that, Wednesday was moderately busy with 33 incidents, 8 arrests, and just one violent report.
Bellingham incident map for 05/20/2026
NonviolentArrestViolentV + Arrest
 
INCIDENT BREAKDOWN
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026
Reports
33
-8 from Tue
Peak Hour
7 PM
5 reports
Nonviolent
97%
+3% from Avg
Theft, other non-criminal, and disorderly behavior tied the day with five reports each. Theft incidents included a bicycle theft on W Bakerview Rd and a cite-and-release near Walmart, while disorderly behavior saw trespass requests and trouble-with-a-person reports scattered across Puget, Cornwall Park, Sehome, and downtown.
CATEGORIES
Theft5
Other Non-criminal5
Disorderly Behavior (Non-Physical)5
Domestic Violence (no assault)3
LOCATIONS
Downtown7
Roosevelt4
York3
Meridian3
HOT BLOCK
1100 Block of Iowa St
 
TIMES
Overnight2
Morning10
Afternoon9
Evening12
PEAK
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
 
ARREST BREAKDOWN
25% ABOVE 30-DAY AVERAGE
Total Arrest
8
+5 from Tue
Repeats
7
+5 from Tue
7-Day Total
46
-8% WoW
Just one of yesterday's eigh arrests was a new name in our data. The most frequent offender was a 33-year-old cited for narcotics possession on N State St, marking their 13th arrest since April 2025. Two trespass arrests happened eight minutes apart on the same block of Iowa St in Roosevelt, involving a 55-year-old and a 43-year-old, both with multiple priors. A 24-year-old picked up on a warrant in York has now been arrested 8 times since February 2025.
CATEGORIES
Theft338
Trespass225
Drugs & Narcotics113
LOCATIONS
York225
Meridian225
Roosevelt225
Happy Valley113
Arrest does not imply guilt. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
 
YOUR INTEL FOR TODAY
WEEKLY TREND
Weds to Weds, 36% Above Last Week
Through Wednesday, this week has logged 113 incidents compared to 83 at the same point last week, a 36% increase.
PATTERN WATCH
Rise In Disorderly Behavior
The last 7-days have seen 32 disorderly behavior reports, 60% higher than 20 in the previous period.
PATTERN WATCH
Vehicle Prowl Reports
Four vehicle prowl reports have been logged in the last 7-days, compared to zero in the previous period.
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That's all for today's
Civic Informer
Bellingham, WA
See you tomorrow.
 
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