Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Whatcom County, Washington, has about 235,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Whatcom County depends on where the incident happened: the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Whatcom County public records, Whatcom County arrest records, Whatcom County warrants, Whatcom County inmate search, Whatcom County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Whatcom County
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
In Whatcom County that is the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The FBI's list also carries Western Washington University (campus police), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office
The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 108 violent and 435 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 714 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at apps1.whatcomcounty.us/jaildata/roster.html (page title: Whatcom County Sheriff's Office | Jail Roster), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Whatcom County
The six cities the FBI lists in Whatcom County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Bellingham: 255 violent and 3,174 property crimes reported for 2025; 3,203 arrests reported for 2025. The Bellingham police records page is at cob.org/gov/dept/police/about-police/records-bureau, phone (360) 778-8000 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Lynden: 24 violent and 203 property crimes reported for 2025; 228 arrests reported for 2025.
- Ferndale: 25 violent and 180 property crimes reported for 2025; 187 arrests reported for 2025. The Ferndale police department's page is at cityofferndale.org/248/Police-Support-Services, phone 360-384-3390 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Blaine: 18 violent and 75 property crimes reported for 2025; 157 arrests reported for 2025. The Blaine police records page is at ci.blaine.wa.us/172/Police-Department-Administration, phone (360)676-6911 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Everson: 3 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2025; 9 arrests reported for 2025.
- Sumas: 18 arrests reported for 2024.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Whatcom County in 2025
The six agencies in Whatcom County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 433 violent and 4,080 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the six agencies in Whatcom County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,498 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) Requires
The Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, at a charge of for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at whatcomcounty.us/3044/Public-Records-Request---Sheriffs-Office (page title: Records Request | Sheriff's Office | Whatcom County, WA).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 360-410-6365, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Whatcom County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Whatcom County have to answer?
Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), within 5 business days. It may charge for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records.
How do I get a report from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Whatcom County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.