Councilor Wants Crackdown On Prostitution

City Councilor Deborah Coelho wants police to step up enforcement on prostitution in New Bedford.

She tells WBSM's Brian Thomas, she and other City Councilors have seen prostitutes gather and approach cars in the North End.

She believes addiction is fueling many of these prostitutes. "They are really needy women," said Coelho. "Those are the one's you recognize the faces, and they have really decayed over the years," she said.

When pressed on the issue, Coelho said she'd rather prostitutes conduct their business in their own home rather than on the streets of New Bedford.

Asked later if she would support a brothel in New Bedford, Coelho said that suggestion was too radical for her. She said prostitution is still a crime.