Halloween Eve's downtown paperwork and late-night DUI arrests
Happy Friday, Bellingham!
Yesterday unfolded as a steady administrative day punctuated by a handful of arrests. Thirty-six incidents kept officers moving between downtown paperwork, retail theft calls, and late-evening traffic stops. The Lettered Streets corridor accounted for more than a third of the workload, while a mid-morning surge around 10 a.m. brought warrant arrests and trespass orders into sharp focus.
At a Glance
Thirty-six incidents yesterday leaned heavily toward paperwork and property enforcement. The Lettered Streets neighborhood alone accounted for thirteen calls—more than a third of the city's total—while Cordata, Meridian, and the retail corridors along Bellis Fair and Lakeway each saw modest activity. Four incidents were classified as violent, all welfare-related, leaving the day's character decidedly administrative.
Tonight is Halloween, and history suggests a different rhythm: more foot traffic downtown, more vehicle stops after dark, and a higher likelihood of noise complaints and minor mischief as the evening wears on. If yesterday's late-morning paperwork wave is any guide, expect tomorrow morning to bring its own round of follow-up reports. Plan accordingly if you're out late or hosting gatherings.
Category Breakdown
The category mix reflects a day dominated by administrative work and property concerns rather than violent crime. Ten incidents fell under "Other"—warrant service, found property, collision reports, and inter-agency assists—while eight malicious mischief calls ranged from trespass orders to graffiti. Theft and vehicular stops each logged four incidents, and welfare checks accounted for three, underscoring the breadth of non-emergency work that shapes daily operations.
Geography and timing tell the rest of the story. Downtown's Lettered Streets corridor saw repeated trespass enforcement at Commercial Street businesses during the late morning, while Meridian retailers dealt with shoplifting arrests in the early evening. Welfare checks clustered in residential neighborhoods—Lettered Streets and Silver Beach—and vehicular stops bookended the day, with a DUI arrest in Cordata just before 11 p.m. closing out the log.
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Timeline Analysis
Yesterday's tempo followed a classic mid-morning spike, then tapered through the afternoon and evening.
The busiest window ran from 10 a.m. to noon, when eleven incidents—including three warrant arrests and multiple trespass orders—concentrated along Commercial Street and Grand Avenue. Activity remained moderate through the early afternoon, with scattered calls in Cornwall Park and South Hill between 1 and 3 p.m. Evening brought a second, smaller wave: four incidents between 7 and 10 p.m., mostly in Meridian and Puget, before a late-night DUI arrest in Cordata at 10:47 p.m. The overnight hours stayed quiet, logging just five incidents total.
Intel Briefs
Downtown Foot Traffic: Mid-Morning
Commercial Street and Grand Avenue saw concentrated enforcement between 10 a.m. and noon yesterday—warrant arrests, trespass orders, and narcotics possession. If you manage a downtown business, that window remains the likeliest time for walk-in incidents requiring police response.
Retail Corridors: Evening Shoplifting
Meridian retailers logged two shoplifting arrests between 7 and 8 p.m., including a minor-in-possession case. Staff working closing shifts tonight should stay alert as Halloween foot traffic builds, particularly in the hour before stores close.
Late-Night Vehicular Enforcement
Officers made four traffic stops overnight, resulting in three arrests—including a DUI in Cordata at 10:47 p.m. Expect heightened enforcement tonight and into the early hours of November 1, especially along Lakeway and Alabama corridors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in the "Other" category?
The "Other" category includes 12 incidents that don't fit into our main categories. Here's the breakdown:
Where does this data come from?
All incident data is sourced directly from the official Bellingham Police Department Daily Activity Log. We aggregate and analyze this public information to provide community insights. Our data is updated daily and reflects only what the department publicly reports.