Police News and Events

K9 Ofc. Nelson and K9 Stella were recently certified for patrol work together. Last night they had their first capture. Not only was it their first track, but it was in a tough environment, and pretty long! Here`s what happened:

Officers responded to an apartment complex on Studio Lane a little after 10 p.m. for a Felony DV Protection Order Violation actively occurring. The suspect was banging on the windows of the protected person. A check for warrants revealed the suspect already had two Felony warrants for his arrest for the same offense. When the officers arrived, they spotted the suspect on a bike in the apartment’s parking lot. He dropped the bike and fled on foot. Patrol Officers contained the area and called for a K9 track. Stella and K9 Ofc. Nelson got to the scene and tracked the suspect through the apartment complex, into nearby woods, down a trail system, and then to a neighboring apartment complex. Due to their training together, K9 Ofc. Nelson recognized a change in Stella`s behavior near a vehicle, which told him the suspect was nearby. Stella and K9 Ofc. Nelson located the suspect hiding under the vehicle. The suspect was compliant with verbal commands and taken into custody without incident. During the arrest, officers discovered the suspect was armed with a small sword!

The response was an excellent team effort to safely get a repeat offender into custody. Outstanding job by all the officers involved!

Pictured: K9 Ofc. Nelson, K9 Stella, and K9 Ofc. Woodward ...

Yesterday, Santa Claus left the reindeer at the North Pole and hitched a ride to Bellingham’s Walmart on a big ol’ fire truck escorted by an entourage of law enforcement vehicles. Why? So he could join the fun at Bellingham Police Association’s Shop with a Cop! 50 Bellingham Public School students and siblings paired with public safety officials to purchase Christmas gifts and cold-weather gear.

Many community members meet first responders when something negative or traumatic occurs. What makes Shop with a Cop extra magical is it provides an opportunity to form a lasting and positive impression on children and their families outside of a scary situation or one riddled with anxiety. For that, we are grateful.

There are so many people to thank who brought smiles (and some happy tears) to the faces of participating kids and their families. More than 50 commissioned public safety personnel from Bellingham PD, Bellingham Fire, South Whatcom Fire, Washington State Patrol, Ferndale PD, Lynden PD, Washington State Parks, Blaine PD, and Lummi Nation PD volunteered at the special shopping extravaganza. That doesn’t count the civilian volunteers from WhatComm Dispatch, Support Officers of Whatcom County, Bellingham PD, and retired BPD personnel and family members. Some officers and dispatchers pulled all-nighters working their shifts before volunteering at the event.

Shop with a Cop wouldn’t be possible without generous donations from our major sponsors. We are grateful for the support provided by Dawson Construction, Piper Dentistry, Ultra Northwest, Order of the Eastern Star, Custer Gun Range, and Everett O. Foundation.

Thank you to the Bellingham Public Schools for identifying and selecting kids who could really benefit from the Shop with a Cop experience.
Walmart has been an outstanding Shop with a Cop partner for over a decade. Walmart employees donned holiday costumes and grinned ear-to-ear as they directed officers and the young shoppers around the store. We are pretty sure they are just as excited as we are about this event every year.
A sincere thank you to all who contributed to making this event possible. ...

Over the past week BPD and Loss Prevention Officers (LPO) at Fred Meyer collaborated to conduct two emphasis patrols focused on retail theft. The retailer has been significantly impacted by thefts at the W. Bakerview Road location. The emphasis patrols happened on December 5th and 10th for several hours each day. A team of four officers, led by a supervisor, worked in partnership with Fred Meyer LPOs and handled theft/shoplift cases as they occurred. While many of the cases started because of an observed theft, the arrest and subsequent search resulted in more serious charges. BPD officers identified several people with additional warrants or probable cause for other crimes, seized 63 grams of methamphetamine from a single person, and found a realistic-looking airsoft pistol.

In all, 23 people were taken into custody. Most were transported to jail after officers established probable cause for the following charges:
• Theft in the third degree x 12
• Shoplifting x 9
• Burglary in the second degree (felony) x 3
• Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to deliver (felony) x2
• Existing probable cause for Theft in the first degree (felony)
• Warrant arrest (felony)
• Violation of a domestic violence no contact order (felony)
• Obstructing a public servant
• Making false statements to a public official
• Criminal trespass
• Department of Corrections warrant (felony)

These emphasis patrols are a great example of our community partners working with us hand-in-hand to keep Bellingham safe. ...