[10] In 2002, a Jamaican woman named Una James came to Bellingham to search for her son, Lee Boyd Malvo, who had fallen under the influence of John Allen Muhammad.

[11] In 2008, a Bellingham Police car was stolen when an officer left it running in a parking lot while responding to a call.

[13][14] In May 2016, Bellingham Police became an acknowledged National accredited law enforcement agency by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC)[7] In May 2017, a Bellingham officer fatally shot a man after he charged the officer with a knife.

This marks the fourth design change to the badge since the department's establishment in 1904, when it was housed in the Old City Hall.

[23] BPD employs Community Service Officers (CSOs) to provide assistance to both the department and the public.

CSOs, who are not sworn Police officers, carry out a range of tasks to aid various departments, with a focus on public safety.

[24] BPD also runs a youth Cadet Program called the Bellingham Police Explorers.