Mayor wants to make drug use a crime in Bellingham

Bellingham’s mayor will ask the city council on Monday, March 13 to make drug use a crime in the city. Mayor Seth Fleetwood’s proposal aims to address perceptions of deteriorating public health and safety, especially in Bellingham’s downtown, due to “open drug use and unwanted behaviors,” a March 8 city news release said. The release acknowledges that visible social problems persist downtown even after the city and Whatcom County have spent millions of dollars on programs meant t