Downtown Safety and Community Support

Downtown Bellingham is experiencing the effects of regional and national challenges. The City is addressing these challenges through leading edge programs, creative uses of funding and innovative partnerships.

Bellingham’s downtown is the heart of our community and – in our City of many neighborhoods – it is everyone’s neighborhood. Together, we can support our downtown businesses and neighbors, and our most vulnerable community members.

With our partners, we are doing more than ever before to support a safe, healthy, thriving downtown.

Looking at downtown Bellingham from above. Windows in multi-floor buildings glow yellow at dusk.

Snapshot of Key Initiatives

Executive Order 2024-01 – Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis in Downtown Bellingham

On February 20, 2024, Mayor Kim Lund signed an Executive Order that directs her administration to take immediate actions to address the fentanyl crisis and its negative impacts on the safety and well-being of Bellingham’s downtown. Many of the actions called for in the order focus on expanding the presence of first responders downtown to enhance safety, disrupt drug-related criminal activity and support outreach and recovery for people at risk of overdoses. 

The Mayor is also launching a process to identify what more we can do to support a great future for downtown. This will include strategies that support businesses and economic development, promote arts and culture, encourage new housing, and generally enliven our downtown core. 

The actions in this Executive Order are just the beginning, a first few urgent steps along a continuum of actions to realize a downtown Bellingham that is vibrant, thriving, welcoming and safe and everyone. 

The Mayor’s Executive Order commits the City to these actions: 

  • Establish a downtown public safety response office, where Bellingham Fire/EMS, Police and other response service partners will operate. 
  • Expand the focus of Bellingham’s Community Paramedic program to provide a quick response to overdoses and offer more outreach and treatment options in the downtown core. 
  • Explore how the City can support more access to methadone and other opioid treatments. 
  • Create an internal task force to coordinate weekly operations to enhance downtown safety and well-being. 
  • Prioritize enforcement of laws that prohibit the sale and distribution of illegal drugs within the city. 
  • Increase police presence downtown through additional emphasis patrols and community engagement. 
  • Continue prioritizing police officer recruitment. 
  • Increase the frequency of cleaning, litter control and other sanitation services downtown. 
  • Support public education efforts about substance use disorder. 
  • Develop a comprehensive downtown plan to foster safety, economic vitality and sense of community downtown. 
  • Leverage existing resources and seek additional funding and staffing to support these and related efforts. 

What immediate changes will I see downtown? 

You will see an increase in police officers patrolling downtown, on foot and in vehicles, and quicker responses to emergency medical calls. You’ll also see City crews out cleaning alleyways, sidewalks and other public rights-of-way more often. As these efforts take hold, we expect you’ll also see less drug-related activity downtown. 

Is the public safety response hub open to the public for walk-in visits?  

No. It is a space for City public safety personnel to write reports, check messages and do other work while responding to incidents. The office allows first responders to be downtown, closer to locations they are needed when responding to incidents. 

If you experience or witness an emergency, you should call 911. RSU’s downtown security team is available for non-emergency concerns at (800) 824-2383.    

Will other response services use the office space? 

Bellingham Fire/EMS and Police are the primary users of the space. We have extended invitations to several partners to use the space if they see value in having a downtown base. We are working with these partners to determine if this will be a good fit for them. 

Where will people who are engaging in these concerning behaviors go? 

Our efforts will focus on disrupting drug-related criminal activity by prioritizing enforcing laws that prohibit the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. By focusing on disrupting drug-related criminal activity, we expect to deter, prevent, and curb that behavior downtown.  

At the same time, we are working with partners to expand programs and services in the area that offer treatment and recovery for people who use drugs. We know the pathway to recovery is a long one, and our response efforts are a part of encouraging people to seek treatment. 

What does the Executive Order do to address homelessness? 

The focus of this Executive Order is on immediate actions to address the extraordinary increase in overdoses and impacts of the fentanyl crisis on our downtown, and it does not directly address homelessness. We know there is more work to do in preventing and responding to homelessness. 

The fentanyl crisis, an affordable housing and homelessness crisis, and critical lack of adequate incarceration, behavioral health and treatment support systems all are contributing to urgent conditions felt throughout our community and especially in our downtown. The City and partner agencies are committed to addressing these needs, as well as advocating for solutions and support at the state and federal levels. 

Learn more about the City’s current efforts to address homelessness. 

Other Key Initiatives

Multi-year, multi-million-dollar strategies to foster a safe, welcoming environment in Bellingham’s downtown have been underway and are continuing as top City priorities. These initiatives were identified with participation and feedback from the downtown business community and others.

Resumed regular police foot patrols downtown.

Funded and contracted for more than a million dollars per year towards
downtown security personnel, downtown ambassadors and other downtown services.

Increased downtown sanitation services, including monthly deep cleaning of alleys, sidewalks and streets.

Funded alley improvements, such as increased lighting, painting, murals and more.

Created a Mayor’s Downtown Solutions Work Group, bringing together people who live and work downtown with City leaders to discuss needed improvements.

Continued funding and other support for the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, which organizes special events, downtown advocacy, business promotions, landscaping, cleaning and more.  

Supported new businesses and housing downtown, including the activation of significant investment and development in Old Town.  

Funded and helped develop the Alternative Response Team (ART), a program that sends behavioral health specialists to respond to certain 911 calls rather than police.  

Initiated a municipal therapeutic drug court that will provide people suffering substance use or behavioral health needs an opportunity to be diverted from criminal court proceedings to treatment.  

Actively involved in the regulatory steps to support the relocation and expansion of Lighthouse Mission Ministry’s Base Camp back to its original Holly Street location, with significant conditions on operation of the new facility.  

Implemented creative, effective recruiting and retention strategies to reduce personnel shortages and staff back up as fast as possible in the Police Department.

Passed an ordinance that prohibits open public use of drugs, which became a model for other cities and led to similar actions at the state level.

Developed litter, graffiti and junk vehicle removal programs.

Created a Mayor’s Downtown Solutions Work Group, bringing together people who live and work downtown with City leaders to discuss needed improvements.

Increased funding to the Homeless Outreach Team, operated by the Opportunity Council.  

Continued to cultivate relationships through our economic development, non-profit and business partnerships to support our downtown business community. 

Increased resources for Ground-Level Response and Coordinated Engagement (GRACE), a program that provides support to frequent users of EMS, law enforcement and other emergency services.  

Actively participated in Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), a program providing alternatives to arrest and incarceration for people whose unlawful behavior stems from unmanaged substance use, mental health challenges, or extreme poverty.    

Worked with our legislative partners to identify needed funding for increased behavioral health services.  

Partnering with Whatcom County leaders and others to develop and expand incarceration and criminal justice facilities and services, permanent supportive housing, behavioral health and crisis support services and more.

Innovative Partnerships and Creation of the Downtown Safety Strategy

In response to complex and interconnected challenges, City leaders have forged unprecedented partnerships, engaging with the public, private and non-profit sectors. This approach recognizes that the safety and vitality of downtown depends on diverse perspectives and collaborative action.  

Read the Downtown Safety Strategy 

Using feedback from the Mayor’s Downtown Solutions Workgroup and many others, the City established a comprehensive and collaborative response to the complex challenges faced by downtown districts nationwide. 

Downtown Safety Patrols

The City hired Risk Solutions Unlimited (RSU) to provide additional eyes on the street downtown. RSU, a local private security company, provides safety patrols within the downtown core, assists in proactively identifying and responding to issues, and acts as a hub to other resources.

Immediate life or safety issues should always be directed to 911

Patrol Hours and Areas

RSU patrols the downtown safety area seven days a week 24 hours per day. 

About RSU Security Staff  

RSU staff act as a supportive resource for the downtown business community, residents and visitors by responding to behavioral needs and minor crimes, such a graffiti, littering, public inebriation and trespassing, and serving as a connection to downtown resources, including Bellingham Police.

  • They are clearly identified and unarmed.   
  • They have a hands-off policy and focus on building relationships and providing services. 
  • They are trained in de-escalation and customer service.   
  • They provide additional “eyes on the street” to deter crime and assist those in need. 
  • They support other downtown service providers, such as the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), Safety Ambassadors and downtown Clean Team.

Call RSU Security

Security staff are available for non-emergency concerns at (800) 824-2383. They will respond as resources allow.

Homeless Services

During the pandemic and beyond, we have seen an increase in people who are living unsheltered. The City of Bellingham partners with local organizations and agencies dedicated to serving our community members in need. A solution to the homeless crisis will take all of us working together.   

Learn More About the Homeless Outreach Team

The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) connects those experiencing homelessness with services. They also support community members in working through needs surrounding homelessness. Call HOT at (360) 312-3717.

Find Options for Getting Involved

Do you want to do more to help community members experiencing homelessness? Learn more about City of Bellingham partner organizations and agencies you can donate time or resources to. 

Behavioral Health Services

Alternative Response Team Program

Whatcom County Health and Community Services launched the Alternative Response Team (ART) in January 2023. This innovative Bellingham program sends a behavioral health specialist and a public health nurse to respond to specific non-violent behavioral health 911 calls. ART benefits people having mental or behavioral health challenges, and our emergency services personnel, allowing them to respond to other emergent calls requiring law enforcement intervention. 

Learn More About the Alternative Response Team

Find out more about what the ART program does, its benefits, and how it affects Bellingham residents.

Learn How to Spot and Respond to an Overdose

Find out what to do in case of an overdose and find resources for those seeking treatment on the Whatcom Overdose Prevention website.

A 911 dispatcher wearing a headset.

Addressing Public Safety Needs

January 13, 2023

Cities and communities regionally and nationally, including Bellingham, are facing public safety challenges. City leaders are working diligently to address public safety challenges and staffing shortages in law enforcement and service agencies.

A police officer walks downtown in front of a local restaurant on a sunny day.

Addressing Concerns About Downtown Bellingham

February 28, 2023

New strategies to foster a safe, welcoming environment downtown have been underway for more than a year and are continuing, with more than one million dollars in City investments directed toward downtown in 2023.

Community members gathered downtown on a clear, sunny day enjoying a City music event.

Learn More about the Downtown District

Find out more about the community’s vision for the district, beautification and cleaning initiatives, economic development efforts, arts and culture, and resources for historic buildings. 

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