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Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Chief Rebecca Mertzig authorized pink patches and badges for the month. Showing support for those fighting any cancer diagnosis, stand with survivors, and encourage screening for early detection.
#pinkpatchproject
#GetScreened
#bp176
Driver rams police car, gets out with knife to instigate lethal confrontation https://zpr.io/HpU3esEgmNuH
Corporal David "Marty" Starkovich retired after 30 years with BPD. Congratulations to you and enjoy your well deserved retirement!
He was a field training officer, school resource officer, on SWAT and coordinated our body worn camera program.
https://bit.ly/3LLPVDy
#bp176
Runners are at the start line for the Bellingham Bay Marathon and half marathon. Drivers please be aware of runners on the route, and slow down today. Runners have a great race!
#bp176
We are going pink in October.....all for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Look carefully and you will see our officers wearing pink badges and shoulder patches.
Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig has authorized the wearing of the pink patches and badges by our officers for the entire month. Cancer, all types, affects many members of our community - BPD officers and families included. We want to show our support for those fighting any cancer diagnosis, stand with survivors of cancer, and encourage screening for early detection. Please be on the lookout for some more exciting news during this month.
#pinkpatchproject
#wearpink
#GetScreened
Driver rams police car, gets out with knife to instigate lethal confrontation Visit cob.org/news for more details.
On September 16, 2022, Corporal David “Marty” Starkovich, Badge #167, hung up his patrol belt for the last time after the final shift of his 30-year career. He was hired by the Bellingham Police Department on April 16, 1992 after graduating WWU with a BA in physical education, pre-physical therapy. He has served in many different positions in the department throughout his career.
He started by going to the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) at the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) in Burien, WA. He returned and completed field training and worked patrol for several years. In 1996 he served at the Shuksan Middle School resource officer for three years. After coming back to patrol for a couple of years he was chosen to be a detective in the Northwest Regional Gang and Drug Task Force for two years. After coming back to patrol he continued as a Field Training Officer (a designation he held since 1994) and trained new officers.
Marty held positions as a Master Patrol Officer (ten years,) bicycle officer (two years,) taser instructor (13 years,) a member of the SWAT team (seven years,) Civil Disturbance Team Leader (15 years,) and the department’s body worn camera coordinator for the past several years.
In January of 2018, Marty was promoted to Corporal, a rank at which he retires. Marty served his community more than as a police officer, as he has spent many years coaching high school, middle school and youth leagues in football, baseball, basketball, and wrestling. He has also been a high school football referee for the past 8 years.
In a small ceremony at the station, Corporal Starkovich was presented his retirement badge by Chief Rebecca Mertzig. His fellow officers on his morning patrol shift gave him an honorary escort as he left the department after his last shift. They escorted him to a gathering of his closest friends and family at Windermere Real Estate, Bellingham, where all the officers were greeted with a round of applause and appreciation for what they do every day. Thank you for your support of Marty and BPD!
Marty plans to complete a long list of chores and then take a trip with his family. We wish you the best, Marty!
#bp176
BPD Day shifts catch bank robbery suspect within 44 minutes of the robbery!
Just as the last runners were completing the 10k/5k race today, our day shift officers were responding to multiple calls, including a bank robbery at Key Bank on N. State Street in the downtown core.
At 10:10 a.m., Saturday September 24, a male walked into the bank, presented a note which stated he had a loaded gun and would shoot if not provided with a specific amount of money. The employee, clearly fearing for their life, handed the cash over.
The officers were given a description, disseminated a photo of the suspect and began searching for him. By 10:54 a.m., the officers located the suspect walking along Cornwall near Vallette and took him into custody without incident. No gun was found on him during the search. He still had the cash on him......well, all but $100, evidently he lost that along the way. If you find that bill blowing in the wind along Cornwall....call us we will pick it up and return the evidence to the bank. 💨💰
In another odd twist, right before being sent to the robbery, officers were responding to the Whatcom County Jail to speak to a man, who had called inside the facility and told them he needed to speak to an officer before robbing a bank. The jail employees called 911 and BPD officers were driving there at 9:56 a.m. to speak to him. The man grew angry and left about five minutes before the officers got there and walked straight to the bank to rob it.
Now, rather than being outside of the jail speaking to officers before he robbed the bank, he is booked inside the jail for robbery 1st degree.
Great teamwork between the 911 dispatchers, patrol shifts and the bank employees got the robbery suspect identified and caught.
#bp176
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We are going pink in October.....all for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Look carefully and you will see our officers wearing pink badges and shoulder patches.
Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig has authorized the wearing of the pink patches and badges by our officers for the entire month. Cancer, all types, affects many members of our community - BPD officers and families included. We want to show our support for those fighting any cancer diagnosis, stand with survivors of cancer, and encourage screening for early detection. Please be on the lookout for some more exciting news during this month.
#pinkpatchproject
#wearpink
#getscreened ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
I love the pink badges. Way to go. Thank all of you for keeping us safe.
Thank you! Can you give a suggestion as to what to do in this type of situation: We live on a short quiet dead-end street on top of the Hill. For the past two nights people unassociated with any of the neighbors have been coming up and parking on the street to sleep in their vehicle. We are concerned for our safety and need advice on what to do. Thank you for responding.
Thank you Bellingham Police Department for keeping Bellingham safe and doing it in style ! 💕💕💕
You are one awsome department. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you Bellingham Police Department 😀😀😀😀😇
THANK YOU ALL for your service.
Way to go BPD!!
Looks great!
I Back the Blue !!!❤
Thank you. 💗
I love pink badges! 🥰
Pink looks pretty cool on you Bellingham Police Department . 🍨
This is awesome but there are different colored ribbons for different types of cancer and mental health and everything. Just an idea maybe wear different colored patches each month for a specific awareness. Now that would be cool. #cancersucks
💗
Shayne Simpson
Hi BPD! Did you know that incarcerated women have poorer access to breast cancer screening than any other population in the US? Did you know that the overlap of women who are targeted by the police (lower levels of formal education; poverty; drug and alcohol use/abuse) is almost identical to the highest non-genetic risk factors for breast cancer mortality? What is the "awareness" being spread with this campaign? Are you offering community resources on how to identify breast cancer? Are you arranging a mobile mammogram unit to visit vulnerable communities for free? Are you inviting people to receive no-questions-asked drug and alcohol education as it relates to cancer risk? Are you designating anyone to help incarcerated or jailed people with breast and chest health in ANY WAY? Or are you simply participating in some of the most ruthless pinkwashing: the kind that does nothing for breast cancer while propping up systems that further marginalize the most vulnerable?
I was just thinking how I can’t wait for all the “what aboutism” that floods the comment sections of posts like these... but I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared to be proven right by the very first comment, 9 minutes after the post went up. It isn’t reasonable for police officers to change their patch every month. They pay for the patches and donate to funds out of their pocket to wear them during October. (Could you imagine the backlash from the public if the City of Bham paid for different colored patches each month?!) Plus someone would still ALWAYS feel left out. Breast cancer starts at a younger age than most other types; it is the most common type of cancer; and BIPOC folks disproportionately die from it. Folks need the reminder to get screened, and funding is still super imperative for many who need treatment. And unfortunately it’s a particularly personal disease for *most* people. Don’t be the person who ruins the supportive spirit of these things. We all know awareness for every kind of cancer or chronic illness would be great, but it just isn’t possible.
Well done BPD!!! You guys are awesome!!
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Thank you for posting awareness. I'm a week out from mastectomy surgery right now, and grateful it was caught; praying for a good recovery. Increasing awareness is good.
Thank you..One year and doing great..Breast cancer.
LOVE IT!!!!
Thank you!
Way to go BPD
Can I ask who supplies these? Is it a private party or the BPD?
Bellingham police ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Let’s see that new pink wrap on the Explorer! It’s 🔥!
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Driver rams police car, gets out with knife to instigate lethal confrontation: Officer gets driver to drop knife, talks to him until he is taken into custody ... See MoreSee Less
Driver rams police car, gets out with knife to instigate lethal confrontation
cob.org
Officer gets driver to drop knife, talks to him until he is taken into custodyComment on Facebook
Loving seeing the community support for your excellent response. Now we need to see the rest of the system support the community as well. Kudos!
Great job, but B'ham is getting so much more dangerous these past couple of years. We need far more officers than we have for a city of this size.
great work!!
The stories that don’t make the news…. Nice work, officer!!
A great example of our A -1 Officers in Whatcom County. So glad no one was hurt. And now Mr. Rupp can get the help he needs. Thank you for serving & protecting us all 24/7.
Great job BPD! That’s the best case scenario for the perp to get the help needed. Way to go to that officer that kept his/her cool in a deadly situation. Just be sure you take care of YOU too, so that you can go home to your family, and keep protecting the rest of us. #thinblueline
Great job of restraint. Kudos to the officer that toned down the situation and didn’t just shoot. That’s great policing, BPD! Well done.
BPD you again showed your professionalism and dedication to our community today by your actions in caring for those in harms way and for those causing the threatening situation. Thank you for your service! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Well done Officer! So glad no one was injured by that intoxicated man. He is obviously a danger to himself and the community.
BPD you are the best of the best and I feel very lucky to live in this community knowing you are here to serve and protect. Another great job done by BPD.
Well done officer hope the person gets the help they desperately need.
Well done~so glad everyone safe. Thank you for protecting our community!
Another Great Job by BPD , imagine if that would of happened to anyone else that wasn’t trained for that kind of situation.
Great job at handling and de-escalating the situation. Glad the officer is safe.
Good job BPD. Glad you were able to arrest this guy. Clearly it is better for him in the long run and much better than being dead right now.
Well done, officer. Thank you.
Great work, and cool heads prevail!
Well done to the officer involved… I can’t say I would have had such a cool head. Thank you to all our Bellingham police. 🌻
BPD thanks for your professionalism and always caring for all!
Well done BPD. Thanks for all you do
Wow, well done BPD.
Sounds like he was trying to commit “you know what”. Sad but this is a way people try to end their lives. Its a situation that needs more awareness.
I was driving right pass this shortly after it happened, great job BPD
Excellent work by the officer!
Not every officer wants to shoot someone... great job by deescalating a potential deadly situation
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It's auction time!!
BPD sends Unclaimed and Seized property (RCW 63.32.010) to the Bellingham Public Auto Auction on the corner of Kentucky and Iron Streets. There is an online Miscellaneous Items Auction the first week of every month. Check out their website for details, a complete list of items, and photos.
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Bellingham Public Auction
www.bellinghamauction.com
Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Tools, Equipment and more for auction every month. Bellingham Police Department Surplus items and more at the Bellingham Public Auction.Comment on Facebook