Nancy Guthrie Update: Former Detective Reacts to Sudden Change Made by Sheriff’s Department (Exclusive)

Former NYPD detective David Sarni explains that limiting public access to police radio traffic can help protect officers—but says the timing and lack of clarity behind the 

decision may raise questions.

Apr 11, 2026 

By Effie Orfanides

Trending News Writer, Parade

Key Points

• The sheriff’s department reportedly encrypted radio transmissions during the ongoing Nancy Guthrie case.
• Former detective David Sarni says, “Pima County needs to be more transparent as to why.”
• Public concerns arise over reduced transparency versus police safety in high-profile investigations.

New developments in the case of Nancy Guthrie are drawing attention after the sheriff’s department appears to have made a sudden change to how its radio transmissions are handled. According to YouTube streamers and others following the case, the department has encrypted those communications so that the public can no longer listen in.

While restricting public access to live police communications can help prevent criminals from tracking officer locations and response times—or even planning ambushes—a former detective says transparency is key. Without clear communication about why the move was made, especially in the midst of a high-profile investigation, the decision could raise concerns among both the public and the media.

To better understand why this change happened now, as the Guthrie case is still ongoing, Parade reached out to former NYPD detective David Sarni for some insight.

“When police radio transmissions can be heard live, they can be used to find out response times or even the location of officers,” Sarni tells me. “And for safety purposes, agencies are looking to stop them from being public and/or live.”

Despite some potential workarounds—Sarni mentions paid apps like “Citizen“—keeping radio transmissions away from the public can be safer for law enforcement.

“Criminals use radio access to locate police and to ID response times,” Sarni continues. “There can be policy made as to how radio transmissions can be accessed post-incident, but it makes sense in a heightened terrorist threat, for example, to side with the police on this point.”

Sarni says that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department should have explained its reasons for encrypting its radio transmissions in the midst of such a high-profile case.

“Pima County needs to be more transparent as to why, especially to local government, because the optics seem as though it’s being done to punish media and disallow access especially amid such a high-profile abduction,” Sarni adds.

Parade reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for comment but did not hear back.

Guthrie, 84, has been missing since Sunday, Feb. 1. Anyone with information about what happened to her, the people responsible, or her whereabouts is asked to call the FBI (1-800-CALL-FBI).

About the author

Effie Orfanides
Trending News Writer, Parade
Effie Orfanides is a trending news writer for Parade. With more than two decades of experience, she focuses on celebrity news, celebrity relationships, music, and reality television.