Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday the launch of the New York City Rat Pack, which he described as an “elite squad of dedicated anti-rat activists,” replete with its own emblem and clothing.
According to the New York Service website, members of the NYC Rat Pack will be “deputized to educate, engage, and take action on all things rat mitigation”. In order to be admitted as an official member of the NYC Rat Pack, candidates must meet three qualifications.
Attending a Department of Health Rat Academy course, which is a two-hour class led by an elected official or community partner that informs New Yorkers about rat control in their areas, is the first prerequisite.
The second is to sign up for a 30-minute “Rat Walk” that will “highlight the relationship between the built environment, human behaviors, and rat biology.” The walk will be led by the director of rodent mitigation, Katherine Corradi, known as Mayor Adams’ “Rat Czar.”
Completing a NYC Service Volunteer rat mitigation event, such as a garden workday or park cleaning, is the final step. An online form verifying their completion of the aforementioned actions will be sent to participants via email. Upon certification, they will be eligible to receive Rat Pack merchandise, such as a cap or t-shirt.
If you HATE rats as much as I do, join our new NYC Rat Pack!
Help us win this war on rats and keep rodents OUT for good.
Are you with us? Learn what it takes to join our efforts: https://t.co/iUHILi02Bx pic.twitter.com/m2jaSobg7i
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) July 28, 2024
“You can be proud to lead your community to a rat-free environment,” Adams said at a news conference in Sunset Park. “Rat Pack members will be able to defend their communities from rodents and achieve our goal of making New York City the least rat-friendly city in America.”
In an effort to discourage rats from the piled up rubbish on the pavement, the city required trash cans for the majority of households earlier this month. It was the most recent step in the city’s “trash revolution,” as authorities have dubbed the endeavor to containerize all of its rubbish.
