Public Safety

You can’t believe everything you read on the internet – (though we are going to ask you to believe us…) Sure we had some “growing pains” at the height of the oil boom, but that was more than a decade ago. Today, our communities are extremely safe and family friendly. Williams County is where you’ll find local communities that have made significant investments in personnel, equipment and technology to enhance safety and peace of mind.  

In North Dakota, we also pride ourselves on our strong law enforcement network. There are several agencies patrolling the streets and roads in Williams County, including the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Williams County Sheriff’s deputies and local municipal police departments. On a scale of 1 being low and 100 being high, BestPlaces.net ranks Williams County 12 for violent crime. That’s nearly half the average violent crime rate of 22.7 in the United States.  

Every residence in Williams County is served by a fire and ambulance service and 911 dispatch is provided by the Williams County Dispatch Center.

If you find yourself or others needing confidential emotional support, you can call or text 988, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to reach a national and local network of crisis centers. For on-site services, the Centre, Inc Stabilization Unit (CSU) provides 24/7 drop-in assessments and short-term residential crisis stabilization services for individuals ages 18 and older. The CSU is co-located with the Northwest Human Service Center and is managed by Centre, Inc. Entry is on the east side of the Metro building in downtown Williston (309 Washington Ave W, Suite 3 South, Williston, ND 58801). For more information about crisis and behavioral health resources, visit the UMDHU CredibleMind website.