There are a lot of drug addicts who are fishermen, but there are a lot of fishermen who are just simply good fishermen. The numbers bother Lt. Wotton, who said fishermen have become targets not just for police, but for drug dealers. Some dealers are reformed junkies who now prey on addicts. Dealers will sometimes hang out at waterfront taverns waiting for fishermen to come in with a pocket full of money. While police have been cracking down on prostitutes and drug activity on lower Union Street and the waterfront, the condition persists.
Police say they are reacting to the problem.
If we feel that the drugs are coming in from the water, that is where we focus our energies. It all has to do with how our narcotics unit views the situation. The certificates also showed that 12.3 percent of those who died of AIDS since 1991 were fishermen. AIDS deaths totaled 260 in that time frame. The survey was conducted in the communities of Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Westport, Mattapoisett and New Bedford.