Dartmouth Official Looks to Target Motels for Harboring Criminal Activity

A Dartmouth Select Board member is urging action against the many motels and hotels in the town.

At Monday night's meeting, Select Board member Shawn McDonald said many of the inns along the Route 6 corridor harbor drug dealers, prostitutes, and other criminals, and he wants to see that practice end. "We're being finger-pointed by a city councillor that this town does nothing with the drug problem helping in New Bedford," said McDonald. "Well, this is part of it. Part of it is because these people are in the motels and the motor inns along Dartmouth. And they put up permanent residence or an extended stay, and it's got to stop."

McDonald suggested having the owners of such establishments vet their customers more thoroughly, and having various Town boards routinely inspect the businesses.

Town Administrator David Cressman says the Town cannot direct who people can or can't rent to.