2025 Bellingham Police Activity Report
A comprehensive analysis of police-reported incidents across Bellingham, Washington - providing transparency and insights for our community.
In total, the Bellingham Police Department responded to 19,898 incidents - an average of 54.5 calls per day. But these numbers aren't distributed evenly. Downtown alone saw 4,054 incidents (20.37% of the total), primarily driven by disorderly conduct related to homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health crises.
This report breaks down where, when, and what types of incidents occurred - giving Bellingham residents actionable insights about safety in their neighborhoods.
19,898
Total Incidents
54.52 per day average
26
Neighborhoods
Top 5 = 53% of incidents
22.24%
Arrest Rate
4,425 total arrests
6.85%
Violent Crime Rate
1,363 violent incidents
What The Data Reveals
- 1Downtown sees 20% of all police activity. With 4,054 incidents, Downtown isn't just busy - it's where 43% of all disorderly conduct calls happen. This reflects the concentration of homelessness, social services, and nightlife in the city center.
- 2Meridian is where Bellingham's theft happens. The Meridian corridor (2,869 incidents) has 943 theft-related calls - including 51% of all shoplifting citywide. Big-box retail and mall traffic make this area a property crime magnet.
- 3A small group cycles through the system repeatedly. 776 individuals (33% of arrestees) account for 62% of all arrests - one individual was arrested 16 times in 2025 alone. The data suggests enforcement alone isn't breaking cycles of substance abuse, mental health crises, and homelessness.
- 4December is 37% quieter than January. Holiday weeks see dramatically reduced police activity (Christmas week: just 24.9 calls/day vs. 54.5 average). Post-holiday January brings the busiest period of the year.
Neighborhood Hotspots
Police activity is heavily concentrated in a handful of neighborhoods. Downtown and Meridian alone account for 35% of all incidents.
Hover over a neighborhood
Incidents
A single city block (the 500 block of Grand Avenue downtown) saw 626 incidents in 2025. That's more police activity than the 13 quietest neighborhoods combined. Meanwhile, the 4400 block of Meridian Street near Bellis Fair logged 523 incidents, making these two blocks responsible for nearly 6% of all citywide police calls.
But volume doesn't equal danger. Downtown's high numbers come mostly from disorderly conduct and welfare checks, not violent crime. In fact, Downtown's violent crime rate (6.17%) is lower than Cornwall Park (13.59%) or Cordata (10.36%). The busiest neighborhoods aren't necessarily the most dangerous ones; they're the ones where people congregate, shop, and seek services.
Top 10 Neighborhoods: Incidents, Arrests & Violent Crime
Downtown leads in total incidents but Meridian has a higher arrest rate (35% vs 26%). Cordata shows the highest violent crime rate (10.4%) despite fewer total incidents.
Downtown
4,054 incidents (20.4%)
Dominated by disorderly conduct (1,285 incidents) - 43.5% of all disorderly conduct citywide happens downtown.
Meridian
2,869 incidents (14.4%)
The theft capital of Bellingham - 943 theft incidents, including 227 shoplifting calls (51% of citywide shoplifting).
| # | Neighborhood | Incidents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown | 4,054 |
| 2 | Meridian | 2,869 |
| 3 | Lettered Streets | 1,409 |
| 4 | Puget | 1,086 |
| 5 | Roosevelt | 1,051 |
| 6 | Barkley | 1,046 |
| 7 | Sehome | 1,021 |
| 8 | York | 964 |
| 9 | Cordata | 898 |
| 10 | Birchwood | 857 |
| 11 | Happy Valley | 817 |
| 12 | Cornwall Park | 640 |
| 13 | Sunnyland | 562 |
| 14 | Columbia | 418 |
| 15 | Fairhaven | 319 |
| 16 | Samish | 302 |
| 17 | Outside City Limits | 271 |
| 18 | Whatcom Falls | 224 |
| 19 | Silver Beach | 214 |
| 20 | Irongate | 191 |
| 21 | South Hill | 174 |
| 22 | King Mountain | 164 |
| 23 | Alabama Hill | 112 |
| 24 | Edgemoor | 93 |
| 25 | South Bellingham | 92 |
| 26 | Western Washington University | 50 |
Beyond Crime: What Police Actually Respond To
The biggest driver of police calls in Bellingham isn't violent crime - it's disorderly conduct, welfare checks, and substance-related issues. These calls reflect the visible challenges of homelessness, addiction, and mental health crises that affect downtown streets and neighborhoods across the city.
Disorderly Conduct
2,952 incidents (14.8%)
The #1 category citywide. Includes trouble with a person, trespass, sitting/lying violations, and general disturbances.
(1,285 incidents)
Substance-Related
746 incidents (3.8%)
Includes DUI, drug violations, and overdoses. Highest repeat offender rate of any category (86.1%).
450
DUI incidents
245
Overdose calls
Domestic Incidents
1,352 incidents (6.8%)
Includes domestic disputes (with and without assault), violations of protection orders, and related calls.
12.72%
arrest rate
Cordata
highest (143)
Welfare & Behavioral Health
1,999 incidents (10.1%)
Welfare checks, behavioral health responses, suicide attempts/threats, and missing persons. These calls often require crisis intervention skills.
(45% of welfare category)
Traffic Incidents
1,609 incidents (8.1%)
Includes traffic stops, collisions (including hit-and-run), road rage, and parking issues. The 54.8% arrest rate reflects DUI enforcement and warrant arrests during stops.
474
Traffic stops
422
Hit & run
450
DUI arrests
Key Takeaways
- 1Downtown sees disproportionate disorderly conduct - 43.5% of citywide incidents in one neighborhood. This is likely tied to homelessness, commercial density, and nightlife.
- 2Behavioral health represents a significant burden - 904 behavioral health calls plus hundreds of welfare checks suggest a need for mental health crisis resources beyond traditional policing.
- 3Substance issues drive repeat offenses - With 86.1% of substance-related arrests involving repeat offenders, traditional enforcement alone isn't breaking the cycle.
What's Happening
The three largest categories - Disorderly Conduct, Investigations, and Theft - make up 39% of all incidents. Violent crimes represent just 6.85% of the total.
We group 21 incident categories into seven broader types. Community issues (disorderly conduct, welfare checks, domestic calls) make up a third of all police activity. Administrative matters (investigations, warrants, civil disputes) account for another 28%. Property crimes follow at 15.5%. Together, these three groups represent 76% of what police respond to - with violent crime at just 4.9%.
| # | Category | Incidents | % Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disorderly Conduct | 2,952 | 14.84% |
| 2 | Investigations | 2,592 | 13.03% |
| 3 | Theft | 2,170 | 10.91% |
| 4 | Welfare | 1,999 | 10.05% |
| 5 | Traffic | 1,609 | 8.09% |
| 6 | Vandalism | 1,433 | 7.2% |
| 7 | Domestic Incidents | 1,352 | 6.79% |
| 8 | Civil Matters | 1,249 | 6.28% |
| 9 | Warrants | 1,001 | 5.03% |
| 10 | Substance Related | 746 | 3.75% |
| 11 | Property (Found/Lost) | 716 | 3.6% |
| 12 | Assault | 614 | 3.09% |
| 13 | Burglary | 585 | 2.94% |
| 14 | Fraud | 277 | 1.39% |
| 15 | Sexual Crimes | 217 | 1.09% |
| 16 | Harassment | 188 | 0.94% |
| 17 | Weapons | 82 | 0.41% |
| 18 | Auto Theft | 52 | 0.26% |
| 19 | Robbery | 50 | 0.25% |
| 20 | Kidnapping | 12 | 0.06% |
| 21 | Homicide | 2 | 0.01% |
Understanding Violent Crime
Of the nearly 20,000 police incidents in 2025, 1,363 (6.85%) involved violent crime. Police made arrests in 37.5% of these cases - nearly double the overall arrest rate. There were 2 homicides during the year. The vast majority of police activity involves property crimes, welfare checks, and civil matters.
Breakdown by Type
Highest Rates by Neighborhood
Note: "Violent" classification includes assault, sexual crimes, robbery, weapons offenses, kidnapping, and homicide. Harassment is included where criminal threatening was involved.
When Crime Peaks (And Why It Matters)
Police activity follows predictable patterns that may surprise you. The busiest time isn't late at night - it's noon on Tuesdays. And December sees 37% fewer incidents than January, making the holidays Bellingham's safest time of year.
Activity by Hour of Day
Peak: 12pm (1,854 incidents)66.17%
Business hours (7am-7pm)
33.83%
After hours (7pm-7am)
The midday peak reflects business hours, retail activity, and school dismissals. Contrary to popular belief, police activity doesn't spike late at night - the 11am-3pm window accounts for roughly 40% of daily incident volume. Activity drops significantly after midnight, with 5am being the quietest hour.
Tuesday is consistently the busiest day (3,210 incidents), while weekends see notably lower activity. 75% of all incidents occur Monday through Friday, with Sunday being the quietest day.
Activity by Day of Week
Peak: Tuesday (3,210)75.23%
Weekdays (Mon-Fri)
24.77%
Weekends (Sat-Sun)
Monthly Incident Trend
December's low (1,156 incidents) is 37% below January's high (1,824 incidents) - a pattern likely influenced by holiday travel and seasonal factors.
Holiday Patterns
Specific holidays show dramatic variation from the daily average of 54.5 incidents.
July 4th
Jul 4
50
incidents
Halloween
Oct 31
62
incidents
Christmas
Dec 25
10
incidents
New Year's Eve
Dec 31
27
incidents
Halloween saw the most activity (62 incidents), while Christmas Day was the quietest day of the year with just 10 incidents - 82% below average.
Why 22 People Account for 5.7% of All Arrests
Of 19,898 total incidents, 4,425 resulted in arrests (22.24%). These arrests involved 2,373 unique individuals, of which 776 (32.7%) were repeat offenders. But here's what the numbers really reveal: a small group cycles through the system again and again, suggesting enforcement alone isn't solving underlying issues.
Arrests by Repeat Offenders
Repeat offenders account for 62.44% of all arrests. Warrants (764) and traffic (529) see the most repeat offender arrests.
Arrest Frequency Distribution
67.3%
First-time
32.7%
Repeat (2+)
22
10+ arrests
Warrants and traffic stops drive the most arrests, but the repeat offender distribution reveals a critical pattern: while most people arrested in 2025 were first-timers, those with prior arrests accounted for a disproportionate share of police contact.
33% of individuals arrested were responsible for 62% of arrests in 2025
Categories with Highest Repeat Rates
Geographic Hotspots for Repeat Offenders
High-Frequency Offenders (10+ Arrests)
The most frequently arrested individual in 2025 - a man in his late 30s - was arrested 16 times across the year, primarily for trespassing and disorderly conduct in the downtown area. His case illustrates how the same individuals cycle through brief jail stays without access to services that might address underlying issues like housing instability, substance abuse, or mental health crises.
He's not alone. 22 individuals were arrested 10 or more times in 2025, accumulating 253 arrests between them - an average of 11.5 arrests per person. These high-frequency offenders represent just 0.9% of unique arrestees but account for 5.7% of all arrests.
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Methodology & Data Transparency
Transparency is core to our mission. Here's how we collected, processed, and categorized the data in this report.
Data Source
Bellingham Police Department Daily Reports
All data in this report comes from the Bellingham Police Department's publicly published daily activity reports. These reports are published each day and include incidents from the previous 24-hour period.
19,898
total incidents
365
days covered
127
offense types
Categorization System
127 offense types → 21 categories → 7 groups
The Bellingham PD uses 127 different offense type codes. We mapped these into 21 standardized categories for analysis, then grouped those into 7 high-level category groups for visual summaries.
Violent Crime Classification
How we determine what counts as "violent"
We classify an incident as "violent" if it involves physical harm, threat of physical harm, or use of a weapon. This includes:
- • All assault types (misdemeanor and felony)
- • Sexual crimes (rape, child abuse, indecent exposure)
- • Robbery (theft with force or threat)
- • Weapons offenses
- • Kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment
- • Homicide
- • Some harassment cases involving criminal threats
Note: Not all "harassment" is classified as violent. Only incidents involving criminal threatening or stalking are included in the violent count.
Location & Geocoding
Location data is provided at the block level (e.g., "500 Block of Grand Ave") to protect individual privacy. We geocode these addresses and assign neighborhood boundaries based on the City of Bellingham's official neighborhood map.
School zone assignments are based on Bellingham Public Schools boundary maps, allowing analysis of incidents near schools at elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Limitations & Caveats
- 1.This is police activity, not crime rates. Many incidents (welfare checks, civil matters, found property) are not crimes. High incident counts don't necessarily mean high crime.
- 2.Reported incidents only. This data only includes incidents reported to or discovered by police. Many crimes go unreported, especially in certain categories.
- 3.Block-level location accuracy. Addresses are rounded to the block for privacy. Some incidents may be mis-assigned to nearby neighborhoods at boundaries.
- 4.Repeat offender data is based on names. We identify repeat offenders by matching names across arrests. Aliases, misspellings, or redactions may affect accuracy.
Learn More About Our Data
For more information about how we collect, process, and present police activity data, visit our data transparency page.
View Data Sources page