Mouse, No More!
A group of Brooklyn residents, living in an area known for its rodent problems, is urging Mayor-elect Zoran Mandani to appoint a new rat czar. Their appeals for the city to renew its campaign against these pests seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
On Friday, two resident organizations from Prospect Heights sent a letter to Mandani, asking him to restore the city’s rat control officer position, which was eliminated in September. This change occurred after the former rat czar, Kathleen Corradi, quietly transitioned to a leadership role at NYCHA.
Carol Morrison, who leads the District 35 Rodent Task Force established by a City Council member, expressed her worries about the lack of representation to combat the rodent issues affecting local playgrounds and backyards. “We really need to connect with government agencies, but if they ignore us, we might need someone to take action,” she noted, emphasizing that complaints could end up in a “void.”
City Hall has yet to respond to any inquiries regarding this matter.
Before the position of Mouse Emperor was vacant in 2023, Morrison mentioned that the area was plagued with rodents, making nearby Stroud playground “uninhabitable.” She described a scenario where “you were walking in the driveway instead of the sidewalk because the rats owned the sidewalk.” She was frustrated, citing over 200 311 complaints that made little impact until the Mouse Emperor finally got involved, coordinating various city agencies to tackle the issue.
Morrison fears that if a new rat czar isn’t appointed soon, the problem could escalate, leading to a surge of baby rats come spring. “I still see rats in my backyard in November,” she lamented. “There are kids who can’t play outside.”
Corradi had launched initiatives focused on “rat mitigation zones” in high-population areas and even introduced a birth control program to address New York City’s estimated three million rats. She was part of a task force that conducted night walks to evaluate the situation.
Residents’ groups claimed in their letter, “For the past two years, we approached these issues in a detailed and transparent manner, connecting and coordinating city departments to face these challenges.” They expressed concern that without a collaborative approach, the city’s quality of life and health could be jeopardized by worsening rat infestations.
According to the Post, Community Board 8 in Brooklyn has reported a 42% decrease in rat sightings since 2022, with a 16% reduction from the previous year. A Sanitation Department official asserted that current rodent control strategies are effective, citing a decline in rat sightings for eleven consecutive months since the implementation of residential containerization.
“We have no intention of backing down in our efforts against rats,” the official stated. However, residents like Morrison still advocate for Mandani to revive the focused rodent role once he settles into Gracie Mansion.
“We’re discussing a $170,000 investment to enhance communication between city departments, which is taxpayer money that should enable more efficient operations,” she said.
Mamdani’s team did not respond to requests for comments.
