Photo: Arundel C. Hull · Public domainWhat is recorded in Willow Island, and why there is no grade
The closest graded town is Cozad, 5 miles away, at A. There are 2 graded towns within 10 miles. Willow Island has no police department of its own: it’s an unincorporated community (a census-designated place) in Dawson County. The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office reports to the FBI for the parts of the county without police of their own, so there are no figures for Willow Island alone, and no Safety Grade.
What stands out about safety in Willow Island
Policed by the county
Willow Island is a census-designated place, with no town government. Crimes there are reported to the FBI inside the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office’s totals for the county. County police ↓
Counts, not rates
The FBI doesn’t publish how many people the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office covers, so its totals can’t be turned into a per-resident rate or a grade for Willow Island. County police ↓
The nearest graded towns
The closest Nebraska towns with their own police figures are Cozad (A, 5 mi), Gothenburg (A, 5 mi), Lexington (B−, 19 mi). Nearby towns can differ a lot from Willow Island. Nearest ↓
Written from the FBI data on this page. Figures are crimes reported to police, not convictions.
What the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office reports
Reports to the FBI for the parts of Dawson County without police of their own, which include Willow Island.
Property crimes
Violent crimes
Also reports crimes in Dawson County to the FBI.
Property crimes
Violent crimes
2025 offenses reported by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office
Counts, not rates: the FBI doesn’t publish how many people each agency covers. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Tables 10–11.
Crimes reported to the FBI for the whole area the department covers, by year.
The nearest Nebraska towns with a Safety Grade
| Town | Grade | Distance | Violent | Property |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cozad | A | 5 mi | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| Gothenburg | A | 5 mi | 0.4 | 3.4 |
| Lexington | B− | 19 mi | 1.0 | 13.2 |
| North Platte | C | 39 mi | 1.4 | 21.8 |
| Broken Bow | A | 42 mi | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Kearney | C | 53 mi | 2.7 | 15.5 |
Straight-line distance from the center of Willow Island. Nearby towns can differ a lot from Willow Island.
Each town’s own police figures, per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
Willow Island and its neighbors
| Town | Grade | Violent | Property |
|---|
Crimes reported to the FBI per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
How reported crime compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its safety page.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- It’s reported crime. Only incidents reported to and recorded by police appear here. Many crimes are never reported to police.
- A county agency covers a wide area. Its totals mix many communities, so they say little about any one of them.
- Gaps are real gaps. A missing year means the department didn’t report a full year, not that nothing happened.
How the grade is calculated, for every town: How TownRatings grades safety →
Questions about safety in Willow Island
Is Willow Island, NE safe?
There is no Safety Grade for Willow Island. The nearest Nebraska towns with a grade are Cozad (A, 5 mi), Gothenburg (A, 5 mi), Lexington (B−, 19 mi).
Who polices Willow Island?
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office. Willow Island is an unincorporated community, and the department reports to the FBI for the parts of Dawson County without police of their own.
Heads-up board
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Please don’t name or describe individuals. In an emergency, call 911.
Neighbors looking out for each other in Willow Island.
Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: offenses known to law enforcement by city, and state and national rates. Counts are crimes reported to police, not convictions. The Safety Grade is our own summary of that data, not an official rating. Road deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2019–2023. This isn’t an official statement of public safety. In an emergency, call 911.