Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Dawes County, Nebraska, has about 8,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Dawes County depends on where the incident happened: the Dawes County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Nebraska Public Records Statutes requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Dawes County public records, Dawes County arrest records, Dawes County warrants, Dawes County criminal records, Dawes County court records, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Dawes County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Dawes County that is the Dawes County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The FBI's list also places the State Patrol in Dawes County in Dawes County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Dawes County Sheriff's Office
The Dawes County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 19 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Dawes County
The one city the FBI lists in Dawes County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Chadron: 20 violent and 71 property crimes reported for 2025; 113 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Dawes County in 2025
The two agencies in Dawes County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 20 violent and 71 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Dawes County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 132 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Nebraska Public Records Statutes Requires
Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes the agency must answer a request within 4 business days, and it may charge copying, and staff time after the first four hours. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, (308) 432-3900, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Dawes County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Dawes County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes the answer is due within 4 business days.
How long does an agency in Dawes County have to answer?
Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes, within 4 business days. It may charge copying, and staff time after the first four hours.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Dawes County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the State Patrol in Dawes County in Dawes County.
How do I get a report from the Dawes County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes the answer is due within 4 business days.
Is this the official Dawes County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.