Actually it seems like the street cops wanted to keep it that way. Not sure why the detectives pursued it further. The area is pretty nasty. New Bedford has become a run down neighborhood. It's gotten worse since the feds closed down most of the fishing fleet out of there. At one time (1800s) New Bedford was a class address to have. It was also the center of the anti-slavery movement.
You're not? This is MA. Home of gun control and liberal anti-freedom thought. The only worse jurisdiction for self defense is NYC (and maybe Wash, DC)
Sic transit gloria mundi. In the 1850's, fueled by the whaling industry, New Bedford was the wealthest city in the World.