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Public Health, Safety, Justice and Equity Committee

BEL-PHJ-2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 Public Health & Safety Committee City of Bellingham
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The Public Health, Safety, Justice and Equity Committee unanimously approved an experimental ordinance authorizing temporary alley closures in downtown Bellingham to combat entrenched drug dealing and criminal activity. The ordinance grants the Public Works Director authority to close alleys upon recommendation from the Chief of Police, specifically targeting problematic alleyways where drug activity has become concentrated and dangerous for business employees and the public. Deputy Administrator Forest Longman presented compelling data showing 108 incidents of violence, 342 drug-related calls, and 89 overdoses in a three-block section of downtown alleyways during 2025. The city spent $234,000 on downtown cleanup last year, with 80% ($185,000) dedicated to just two alley sections. The committee emphasized this is a temporary, experimental tool designed to provide respite for businesses and workers while allowing implementation of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) improvements. Council members acknowledged this is not a comprehensive solution to drug addiction or homelessness but rather one tool in a broader strategy that includes substantial investments in treatment services, housing, and community support. The ordinance will include provisions for continued access by businesses, property owners, vendors, utilities, and emergency services while making unauthorized entry a misdemeanor offense.

**Ordinance on Temporary Alley Closures** - **Vote:** 3-0 (Williams, Huffman, Hamill) - **Staff Recommendation:** Approve ordinance - **Council Action:** Approved for forwarding to full Council - **Key Provisions:** Authorizes Public Works Director to…

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The committee engaged in extensive discussion about balancing enforcement approaches with service provision for people experiencing substance use disorders. Deputy Administrator Longman emphasized the ordinance targets "predatory drug dealing" rather than people struggling with addiction or homelessness, describing certain downtown alleys as the "epicenter of illegal and illicit criminal drug dealing" in the community. Council Member Stone raised questions about whether other interventions like improved lighting or cameras had been attempted before resorting to closures. Mayor responded that current conditions make such improvements impossible to implement effectively and that businesses are reporting they…
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**City Staff (Deputy Administrator Forest Longman):** Strongly supported the ordinance as an experimental tool to disrupt entrenched drug dealing patterns while emphasizing it's not intended to be punitive toward people experiencing addiction or homelessness. **Police Department (Deputy Chief Jay Hart):** Characterized the ordinance as "very important and necessary" for public safety, noting that despite continuous efforts over 26 years, certain alleys remain high-crime areas regardless of police presence. **Council Member Williams:** Supported the measure…
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**Deputy Administrator Forest Longman, on the ordinance's intent:** "It's not intended to be punitive towards the people that use that space. It's to remove conditions that allow the dangerous behaviors to take hold and persist." **Mayor, on enforcement focus:** "This is not about people that are navigating the challenges of substance use disorder. This is not about people who are unhoused. And I don't want to conflate. This is really the epicenter of illegal and illicit criminal drug dealing…
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The ordinance will be forwarded to the full City Council for consideration at their next meeting. Staff committed to bi-weekly monitoring meetings to assess impacts and unintended consequences once implementation begins. The city will seek qualitative feedback from businesses, outreach providers, and downtown stakeholders on a regular…

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The committee approved moving forward with the city's first systematic approach to temporary alley closures as a public safety tool. This represents a new enforcement mechanism that balances public safety concerns with continued access for legitimate business operations. The ordinance establishes a formal process where police can recommend closures to Public Works, creating an administr…
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# Bellingham's Controversial Alley Closure Plan: Public Safety or Criminalization? ## Meeting Overview On a gray March afternoon in Bellingham City Hall, the Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee convened to consider one of the most contentious public safety measures to reach the council in years. Chair Dan Hamill presided over the three-member committee — himself, Skip Williams, and Holly Huffman — as they deliberated an ordinance that would grant the Public Works Director authority to temporarily close downtown alleys on the recommendation of the police chief to combat entrenched drug activity. The proposal emerged from what city officials describe as a crisis in Bellingham's downtown core, where specific alleyways have become epicenters of drug dealing, overdoses, and criminal activity. With 108 incidents of violence, 342 drug-related calls, and 89 overdoses recorded in just a three-block section of alleys in 2025, city leaders argue they've reached a tipping point that threatens both public safety and the viability of downtown businesses. What unfolded was a careful balancing act between public health concerns, business community pressures, and fundamental questions about how cities should respond to addiction and homelessness in public spaces. ## The Alley Crisis: Data and Desperation Deputy Administrator Forest Longman opened the discussion with stark statistics that painted a picture of downtown alleys in distress. The city's bike patrol heat map, projected on screens in the council chambers, showed concentrated hot spots of criminal activity clustering around specific alleyways between Railroad and Cornwall, and Holly and Magnolia streets. "In 2025 there were 108 incidents of violence in a three-block section of alleyways and 342 drug-related calls and including 89 overdoses," Longman reported, his voice measured but urgent. The financial toll was equally staggering: of the $234,000 the city spent on downtown cleanup through its solid waste division, 80% — approximately $185,000 — went to cleaning just two sections of alleyway. "Year-to-date for those sections, the city spent over $40,000," Longman continued, noting that they weren't even through the first quarter of 2026. The presentation included …
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### Meeting Overview The Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee met to consider an ordinance allowing temporary alley closures for public health and safety. The proposal would give the Public Works Director authority to close problematic downtown alleys at the request of the Police Chief to disrupt entrenched drug dealing and criminal activity. ### Key Terms and Concepts **CPTED:** Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design — strategies like improved lighting, cameras, and physical design changes to reduce criminal activity through better environmental conditions. **See, Click, Fix:** The city's public reporting system where residents can report issues like graffiti, trash, or maintenance problems that need attention. **Way Station:** A downtown facility providing hygiene services, restrooms, laundry, and showers for people experiencing homelessness or other challenges. **Mobile Opioid Treatment Center:** A mobile unit operated by Dequal Care (Unity Care) providing methadone and suboxone treatment for opioid addiction, currently serving 20 active clients and 40 periodic clients downtown. **Heat Map:** A visual representation showing concentrated areas of police calls and criminal activity, clearly highlighting problem spots in downtown alleys. **SSC:** Solid waste collection company that empties dumpsters in downtown alleys and has expressed safety concerns about people hiding in dumpsters. **Predatory Drug Dealing:** Criminal drug sales that specifically target and exploit vulnerable people, as distinguished from substance use disorder itself. **Bike Patrol:** Specialized police unit that monitors downtown areas, particularly effective in alleys and narrow spaces where patrol cars cannot easily access. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Dan Hammill | Committee Chair, City Council Member | | Holly Huffman | Committee Member, City Council Member | | Skip Williams | Committee Member, City Council Member | | Forrest Longman | Deputy City Administrator | | Jay Hart | Deputy Chief of Operations, Bellingham Police Department …
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Public Safety Economic Development Government Operations Bellingham Police Department Deulikeh Wellness Center Solid State Composting Unity Care Dan Hamill Forest Longman Holly Huffman Jay Hart Skip Williams Behavioral Health Business Development Criminal Justice Downtown Development Homelessness Public Safety