Bellingham to accept $3.703 million state public‑safety grant; council advances budget amendment

The Bellingham City Council advanced actions to accept a $3,703,583 law‑enforcement grant awarded by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and to amend the 2026 budget to recognize the related revenue and expenditures. The grant, discussed at the Budget & Finance Committee earlier that day, is intended to support hiring officers, employee retention, training and other public‑safety efforts.

Deputy Chief Ty Elamdorf presented the funding outline to the committee. Committee members said the grant will help fund three new (previously frozen) officer positions, backfill $688,000 for the city’s crisis response/art team, purchase equipment and training for safer pursuits, invest in additional dash cams (about $500,000), and allocate $100,000 to sustain domestic violence and sexual assault services in the community.

Council Member Lisa Anderson said she would recuse herself from votes related to the DV/SAS funding because she serves on the DV/SAS board; the committee proceeded and recommended the interlocal agreement and the associated ordinance (budget amendment) be forwarded with committee endorsement. Committee votes reported included a committee recommendation to approve the interlocal agreement and a committee vote of 5 in favor, 1 absent and 1 recused on the budget amendment item.

The council moved those items forward consistent with committee recommendations; the full council later approved routine consent items and other motions on the evening’s agenda. The committee and staff emphasized that hiring and training for new officer positions will require time (hiring, training, patrol assignment can take several years) and that some items (dash cams, equipment, ART team backfill) address near‑term needs.