Quick Links To Programs & Resources:
City of Bellingham’s Downtown Safety Strategy
Executive Order
Security Patrols
Homeless Outreach Services
Alternative Response Team
Bellingham Police Department
Resource Cards
Graffiti & Blight Removal
Landscaping & Beautification
Lighting & CPTED Improvements
Advocacy & Public Forums
Resources, Agencies, & Services For All
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership (DBP) and the City of Bellingham, with participation and feedback from our business community, assesses needs and develops strategies to support a safe, clean, and welcoming downtown. As a result, multi-year, multi-million-dollar strategies to foster a safe, welcoming environment in Bellingham’s downtown have been underway since 2021 and are continuing as top City priorities. These initiatives were identified with participation and feedback from the downtown business community and others.
In February 2023, Mayor Kim Lund recognized ongoing need as she assumed office and initiated an Executive Order centering community safety needs Downtown. 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.
Critical Programs & Services Downtown Businesses Should Know
The City of Bellingham has invested in a private security contract to service the Downtown Bellingham safety area seven days a week, 24 hours per day. Risk Solutions Unlimited (RSU) officers are contracted to be eyes and ears as well as liaisons to problem solve issues occurring on public property and rights of way.
Downtown Security Patrols
RSU has been highly regarded for their extensive training in de-escalation, non-violent and trauma-informed communications, and commitment to relationship-building and community service. They act as a supportive resource for the downtown business community, residents and visitors; respond to behavioral needs and minor crimes, such a graffiti, littering, public inebriation and trespassing on non-private property; and serve as a connection to downtown resources, including Bellingham Police.
If You Need Non-Emergency Assistance To An Issue Occurring Downtown
Dial 800-824-2383
Downtown Security Patrol Program Goal:
Provide downtown stakeholders with support to respond to behavioral health needs, minor criminal activity and public disturbances by providing a visible presence, de-escalation, reporting and referrals within the Downtown Safety Area (see map).
Scope of Contract & Resources:
Two safety agents patrol each shift seven days a week:
8:00am-5pm
6:00pm-3:00am
One additional security guard patrolling the City-owned parking garages
One supervisor providing support and additional patrols, 12 hours/day
More Frequently Asked Questions
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The City of Bellingham has created a printable guide to navigate common scenarios that may result in calling RSU or the Bellingham Police Department. You may print this guide or request a copy by contacting RSU at 800-824-2383.
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The RSU security staff will be clearly identified and uniformed (see above).
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No. The RSU security staff are unarmed. They are trained in de-escalation and customer service and will provide additional “eyes on the street” to deter crime, assist those in need, and support other downtown service providers, such as the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and downtown Clean Team. RSU has a hands-off policy and is focused on building relationships with all Downtown stakeholders.
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Business owners and members of the public can contact this security team directly for any non-emergency concerns or to request an escort with a 24/7 dispatch line:
#800-824-2383
There is only one security patrol guard on duty at any given time, so response times may vary depending on the amount of activity.
Immediate life/safety issues should always be directed to 911.
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The downtown safety patrols contract is paid for through the City of Bellingham’s General Fund.
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The role of police is not affected by downtown safety patrols, and the downtown safety patrols do not replace police officers. The role of downtown safety patrols is to add additional “eyes on the street” to deter crime, assist those in need, and support other downtown service providers such as the Homeless Outreach Team.
If security personnel witness a crime in progress, they will call 911. The 911 dispatch center may also send downtown safety patrols to a call that doesn’t require police response.
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Yes, the downtown security patrols are trained in de-escalation and can connect individuals with other services, such as the Homeless Outreach Team.
You may contact RSU at the dispatch number with additional questions:
#800-824-2383
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For additional questions and information, contact Darby Galligan, Senior Planner at dgalligan@cob.org or (360) 778-8389
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership provides landscaping and cleaning services for public spaces in the downtown core. The City of Bellingham is responsible for municipality-focused services like permitting, roadways, traffic signals, litter management, and more. Other community partners include the Homeless Outreach Team, Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, and more. The City of Bellingham maintains a comprehensive page for safety resources and homelessness services.
Resource Cards
To help navigate the most likely scenarios community members and businesses may encounter, we have simplified a list of primary phone numbers into a business card-sized guide. In addition, we have composed a comprehensive list of non life-threatening emergency and homelessness service provider’s contact information into a one-page print out.
If you are a business owner or manager, you can request we deliver these cards or one-page flyers to your business by sending us a message here.
Graffiti contributes to reduced retail sales, a decline in property values, and citizen concern. The Downtown Bellingham Partnership has worked with the City of Bellingham, Bellingham Police Department, and neighboring community leaders to create best practices and removal programs.
Graffiti Removal & Prevention
Business owners and property owners are required to remove graffiti within seven days per City of Bellingham ordinance. To accelerate removal, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership has created a waiver which allows us to paint, buff, or chemically remove tags on behalf of the building. Please read and download forms for these programs.
Service Area
Before & After Impact
The City of Bellingham funds the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s cleaning and landscaping ($165,000) and graffiti removal ($30,000) programs annually. Through cooperative reporting, policing, and court proceedings, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and the Bellingham Police Department are able to make arrests for serial offenders. Read about a 2023 arrest of four offenders responsible for over $100K in damage here.
Graffiti Notification Form
If you have a graffiti removal waiver on file with DBP, use this form to let us know of any new graffiti on your business.
The City of Bellingham contracts the Downtown Bellingham Partnership to provide landscaping support in the city center.
Landscaping & Beautification
Parking revenues from Downtown metered street parking and the Commercial Street Parking garage are utilized to fund two year-round and one seasonal employee who work to plant and maintain flower beds and above ground planters with a focus on our neighborhood’s retail core. Further funding through donations to the DBP are used to purchase seasonal flower baskets to bring color to the delight of visitors and locals.
DBP’s Landscaping & Clean Team hangs and cares for 44 flower baskets from May-October that are funded entirely through community donations.
DONATE
For $75.00 you can help the Downtown Bellingham Partnership bring color and vibrancy to Downtown Bellingham in 2024. The funds go towards the purchase and ongoing watering maintenance of the baskets.
This is a great way to give back to your community and enhance the beauty of our city! Visitors and locals alike love the look and feel that the flower baskets bring to our downtown. This strengthens our community pride and is good for the local economy as the baskets show we love and care for our neighborhood.
DONATE
Before & After Impact
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership initiates Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) projects to mitigate nuisance behavior, enhance usability of public spaces for pedestrians, and overall enhance the visual appeal of our downtown neighborhood.
Lighting & CPTED
Projects
Lighting projects enhance the perception of safety at night in strategic pedestrian corridors that connect directly to residential areas and points of interest. These investments are long-term and foster a high quality of life for residents & visitors.
Before & After Impact
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership believes in the power of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and works to program places and surfaces with intentional use, art, and lighting. In turn, vandalism and illegal activities are typically reduced in areas where these investments are made.
Advocating for Continued
Improvement
Cities and communities, including Bellingham, are facing challenges to address increasing homelessness, drug use and distribution, mental health crisis, property theft, and other crime. These circumstances are further exacerbated by the national, state, and county housing crisis. In tandem, staffing and resources for law enforcement and service agencies are facing shortages. Lastly, legislative changes resulting from 2020’s social justice movements have forced change and disrupted legacy systems. Our community leaders and the Downtown Bellingham Partnership continue to advocate for increased funding, resources, short-term, and long-term policies to insure Main Street America downtowns are safe place for families now and in the future.
Past Initiatives & Public Forums Led By The DBP
Town Hall Meeting September 2022
Downtown Neighborhood Meeting October 2022
2023 Public Safety Campaign
Community Campaign Overview
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership, in collaboration with the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and a group of community-minded leaders and business owners, are working together to encourage additional public safety solutions and investment in Downtown Bellingham. Since mid-2021, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and the City of Bellingham recognized increasing public safety, property vandalism, and cleanliness concerns from the public and the business community. Since early 2022, new programs including Safety Ambassadors, Security Patrols, and Graffiti Abatement have been launched or expanded, totaling nearly $1M of services investment by the City of Bellingham. Simultaneously, new Whatcom County Health Department programs to divert people in crisis, or are in frequent use of emergency services, to alternative health and human services launched. We acknowledge the value of these programs and understand the state legislative changes resulting from 2020’s social justice movements have forced change and disrupted legacy systems.
We also are aware of the significant the impact open drug distribution and use poses to all of our community’s residents and visitors. We welcome the recent passage of the ordinance to address open drug use in Bellingham, however we believe there is more to be done.
Because of this, we are urging the community to sign in support of additional action from our local government officials to prioritize the vitality of Downtown Bellingham. We will gather signatures and testimonials for several weeks beginning Tuesday May 23, 2023, and present, along with other supportive data, to the Mayor and City Council in early summer 2023.
2023 Primary Mayoral Candidate Forum