Crime & Safety
New York Sheriff's Dispatcher Arrested for DWI in Sheriff's Lot Oct 15
LOCKPORT, NY — A Niagara County Sheriff's Office dispatcher found herself on the other side of a police investigation Thursday after allegedly driving drunk and hitting a parked car in her own departm
By Natalie Brooks · 2026-10-15T22:48:09.951Z
LOCKPORT, NY — A Niagara County Sheriff 's Office dispatcher found herself on the other side of a police investigation Thursday after allegedly driving drunk and hitting a parked car in her own department's parking lot.
According to Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti, Brenda D. Higgins, 61, of North Tonawanda, was arrested October 15 after deputies responded to a property damage accident at the sheriff's office on Niagara Street Extension in the Town of Lockport.
Investigators say Higgins struck a parked vehicle before deputies confronted her at the scene.
Higgins wasn't on duty at the time, but she's no stranger to the department. She's worked as a dispatcher for the Niagara County Sheriff's Office since July 2012.
Now, after more than 14 years with the agency, she's facing charges of Driving While Intoxicated and Unsafe Backing.
Her vehicle was towed from the parking lot and placed on a 12 hour hold. Higgins was also taken to the Niagara County Jail, where she was held for centralized arraignment court proceedings.
The arrest has already affected her employment.
The sheriff's office confirmed Higgins has been suspended pending an internal investigation and disciplinary hearing.
Police haven't said what led up to the crash, whether Higgins submitted to chemical testing or how much damage was done to the parked vehicle.
The department also hasn't indicated when its internal investigation might be completed.
For now, officials say they won't be releasing additional information while the investigation and potential departmental charges remain pending.
What began as a parking lot accident outside the Niagara County Sheriff's Office has now left one of its longtime employees facing criminal charges and an uncertain future with the department.
Higgins is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.