Bellingham has seen a spike in DUI arrests. Here’s how many have been made this year
The Bellingham Police Department reported 14 DUI arrests the weekend of July 3-5. The department made another 15 arrests July 12-15, with eight on July 13 alone.
That’s 29 DUI arrests over seven days in July.
To put that into perspective, BPD averaged 21 DUI arrests per month from 2019-2023, and the department never reported more than 40 in a single month during that time, according to the city’s crime statistics tracker.
So far this year, monthly arrests have topped 50 twice — 50 in March and 55 in July.
The annual trend is even more stark. BPD reported 245 DUI arrests from January through July, which puts the city on pace to top its 2023 total of 382.
The Herald reached out to BPD for a comment on the trend. Sometimes law enforcement agencies conduct “special emphasis” patrols, which can lead to a temporary spike in arrests. BPD Public Information Officer Megan Peters said there were no such patrols in place in July.
“I don’t think any one thing can be attributed to why DUI arrest numbers increase or decrease from month to month,” Peters said. “What none of the raw numbers do is convey if there were any special enforcement actions at play or what other events may have impacted the DUI arrests numbers from increasing or decreasing.”
Meanwhile, crashes involving alcohol appear to be on the decline in Whatcom County and Bellingham.
There have been 18 traffic crashes involving alcohol in Bellingham, which saw 72 such incidents reported in 2023, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation Crash Data Portal.
“We would like to remind the public, it is incredibly dangerous to drive impaired.” Peters said. “If you plan to consume any substance which can impact your driving abilities, BPD highly recommends having a plan to get home safely, like arranging for a sober driver, a rideshare or walking. If a person chooses to drive impaired, they should expect to be pulled over and investigated for DUI. We are committed to the safety of our community which includes holding those who drive under the influence accountable for their decisions.”
The law
The legal limit for blood alcohol content in Washington State is 0.08% for non-commercial vehicles and adults age 21 and over. For commercial vehicle drivers, the limit is 0.04%, and for people under 21 it drops down to 0.02%. A THC level of 5.0 or higher within two hours of driving is also considered a DUI.
A first-time DUI in Washington is usually considered a gross misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
A DUI becomes a class B felony if a person has had three or more DUIs in 10 years, or if vehicular assault is committed while under the influence. Penalties for a class B felony in Washington can be a maximum of 10 years in jail and/or a $20,000 fine. The charge rises to a class A felony if it involves vehicular homicide, which can lead to a maximum of life in prison and fines up to $50,000.
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