As a neighborhood that has been through a lot developmentally in recent years, such as the growth of Barkley Village and the implementation of the Cornerstone Building apartments, crime has remained consistent throughout.
Aside from public order maintenance calls and traffic offenses/accidents encountered on a daily basis, theft and domestic violence are two of the most reported incidents in the Barkley neighborhood.
According to crime statistics provided by the City of Bellingham, there were 52 reports of domestic violence and 130 reports of theft in 2014. So far this year, there have been 44 reports of domestic violence and 106 reports of theft, a trend similar to the year prior.
Crime Statistics for Barkley neighborhood, 2014 v. 2015
Megan Runyan, a barista at the Woods Coffee in Barkley Village, says that the company has experienced theft first hand.
"Our bagels at the store keep getting stolen," Runyan said, "It's actually really annoying. The Bagelry leaves them out by our front door every morning and they get stolen."
As one of the "better off" neighborhoods in Bellingham, crime does not always get associated with Barkley, but the statistics say otherwise.
Though not prevalent compared to other places in Bellingham, the homeless community in the Barkley neighborhood may be an indicator for steady theft rates.
A resident of the Barkley neighborhood for the last 12 years, Harold Crook has his observations on the situation.
"When security is lax or absent, there tends to be misbehavior from kids, the homeless..." Crook said.
Even with crime rates remaining steady in the Barkley neighborhood, it does not stray community members from seeing the area as a relatively safe place.
"Overall, it's an ideal, well-managed place that has little one can complain about." said Crook.
