Seattle/ Crime & Emergencies
Published on February 06, 2019
Bellingham crime incidents up in January; theft rises, vandalism dropsPhoto: iStock

Crime reports in Bellingham saw an overall increase last month, after a previous decline, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources.

Incidents rose by about 19 percent, from 423 in December to 506 in January.

Theft and robbery incidents increased the most from the previous month. Theft rose from 64 reported incidents in December to 80 in January. Robbery incidents went from two to 10 for the month, or about a 400 percent increase.

While a somewhat smaller category, there was also a sizable percentage increase last month in arson, from zero incidents per month to one. Arson reports have decreased since the same month last year.

Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn last month, vandalism reports went from 25 to 20. Burglary incidents fell from 15 to 12, and assault incidents went down from 101 to 100.

When it comes to crime patterns in different areas of the city, the largest increase last month occurred in Downtown Business District, Roosevelt and Cornwall Park. Fairhaven, Alabama Hill and York also saw considerable percentage increases in crime offenses for the month, although they continue to have lower overall crime levels.

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Tuesdays experienced the most crime incidents last month. The largest increase from the previous month occurred on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, while incidents on Mondays, Sundays and went down. early afternoon, late afternoon and midday continue to see the most crime incidents on average each day.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.


This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.