Sept. 14, 2025

Owyhee County’s Frontier Sheriff: A Conversation with Sheriff Larry Kendrick

Owyhee County’s Frontier Sheriff: A Conversation with Sheriff Larry Kendrick
Season 2

In this Sheriff Series episode of The Great Idaho Show, Dylan sits down with Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick. Owyhee is officially classified as “frontier” — 7,666 square miles of rugged Idaho country with just 13,000 residents. Sheriff Kendrick talks about his journey from California to Murphy, why dignity and respect come first in policing, the challenges of covering such vast ground with limited deputies, and the realities of drug interdiction along US-95. This is a true look at law enforcement on Idaho’s frontier.

Episode Breakdown

  • 0:00 – Dylan opens the Sheriff Series and introduces Owyhee County

  • 1:45 – The history of Owyhee’s name and the county seat of Murphy

  • 3:00 – Sheriff Kendrick’s background and law enforcement career in California

  • 6:15 – Why deputies start in the jail: learning dignity and respect first

  • 8:10 – Moving to Idaho and joining the Owyhee Sheriff’s Office

  • 9:15 – Appointment to sheriff and winning election with 65% of the vote

  • 12:05 – The scale of Owyhee: 7,666 square miles and frontier challenges

  • 14:20 – Recreation, search and rescue, and the risks of alcohol with ATVs

  • 18:50 – Drug interdiction on US-95 and cartel operations

  • 23:55 – The sheriff’s mandate: Constitution, community, and accessibility

  • 26:30 – Jail planning, budgets, and the reality of rural tax bases

  • 32:30 – Recruiting and retaining deputies when neighboring counties pay more

  • 35:45 – Community policing and why people prefer sheriff’s deputies

  • 40:00 – Idaho values: keeping purchases and partnerships in-state

  • 47:00 – The roots of the sheriff: from the “Shire Reeve” to today

Sponsored by Old Arms of Idaho — your ambassadors to America’s heritage. Visit oldarmsofidaho.com.