WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – DUI arrests ticked up as fall kicked off in Whatcom County.

Arrest details were compared between September 2025 and 2026.

The number of suspected DUI arrests by Washington State Patrol troopers went up to 34 this September from last year’s 24.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office saw alcohol-based DUI arrests double within the same time period, but noted that the number of drug-based DUI arrests remained the same.

Bellingham Police was the only agency with DUI arrests trending lower.

They say in comparison to 45 DUI arrests in September 2025, only 28 people were arrested on suspicion of DUI this past September.

BPD notes that some DUI arrests may be connected to other criminal cases and are not reflected in the total.

My Bellingham Now previously reported on last year’s rate of DUI arrests eclipsing that of previous years. BPD Lt. Claudia Murphy attributed the increase in arrests at that time to an emphasis on more patrols.