Aug. 31, 2025

Sheriff Matt Clifford - Ada County - Idaho

Sheriff Matt Clifford - Ada County - Idaho
Season 1

Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford joins the Sheriff Series — Idaho’s only project documenting all 44 sheriffs of the state. Clifford talks about the realities of leading law enforcement in Idaho’s fastest-growing county: balancing growth, budgets, public expectations, and the Constitution.

This is not politics. It’s public safety. Clifford explains why sheriffs are not legislators, why service can’t be partisan, and why professionalism under the microscope matters more than ever.

Highlights

  • 00:00 – Why talk to all 44 sheriffs? A snapshot of Idaho in time

  • 02:18 – The 44-sheriff trust network: break through one, reach them all

  • 07:14 – From Mullan, Idaho → Ada County Sheriff: small-town roots, big-county leadership

  • 12:24 – “We’re not legislators.” Serving everyone, no party lines

  • 13:48 – Protest safety irony: protecting people who are protesting you

  • 18:33 – Staffing math: the 1 officer per 1,000 baseline — and why it’s not enough

  • 24:20 – The legislative disconnect: support vs. statutes

  • 33:14 – The 287(g) myth, ICE, and jail space reality in Idaho

  • 38:18 – From the first Ada sheriff (hanged) to today’s microscope — why standards matter

  • 43:23 – First Amendment “auditors” and how professionalism kills the gotcha clip

  • 46:23 – Final reflections: policing in Idaho is a people business