The Rats Won

New York Mayor Eric Adams has waged a years-long campaign against the city’s rats, dubbing them “public enemy number one†and even appointing a “rat czar†to tackle the problem in 2023. But with the rat czar’s quiet departure from her post late last week, it might be time to declare a victor. The rats apparently won this round.

Kathleen Corradi was first appointed as rat czar, technically the Citywide Director of Rat Mitigation, by Mayor Adams in April 2023. Corradi promised to tackle the rat problem head-on, coordinating across various city government agencies, community organizations, and private businesses in the city.

“You’ll be seeing a lot of me and a lot less rats,†Corradi said during a press conference when she was appointed to the role. Corradi noted how Adams had spearheaded the effort, saying at the time, “He hates rats, I hate rats, every New Yorker hates rats.â€

One of the big initiatives launched under Corradi to fight the rat problem was garbage bins, a novel concept in New York, where it’s long been common to just toss plastic bags full of trash on the sidewalks for pick-up. The city has also banned people from putting their trash out before 8 p.m.

But rats are notoriously difficult to get rid of. City officials tried birth control. They tried gassing them. They tried smoking them out of the tree beds. They even tried a National Urban Rat Summit. Any gains have been incremental, unfortunately.

Corrandi was on local public radio earlier this month, where she said “we’re seeing a decline in rat sightings†in complaint data, but acknowledged it was “too early to declare full success.†She said that Department of Health inspections had also helped by spreading out across the city to tackle the problem that way.

“What they’re looking for is conditions that support rats, litter, uncontained garbage, harborage conditions, or active rat signs,†Corrandi said during the Sept. 10 appearance on the Brian Lehrer show.

“Through those, we are really able to understand where in the city we have this higher rat burden, where we can focus efforts, and where we can work with property owners to address those issues. I would encourage everyone here to check out nyc.gov/rats and look at the Department of Health rat portal,†Corrandi said.

But Corradi sent an email to staff on Friday inviting them to farewell drinks, according to The City. And she’ll be moving on to a new role at the New York City Housing Authority, serving as senior vice president for resident services, partnerships, and initiatives, according to the news outlet.

The mayor’s office confirmed to Gizmodo that Corradi has departed, with Deputy Press Secretary Zachary Nosanchuk saying that they’re sad to see her go but that the work will continue. Nosanchuk sent a statement attributed to Mayor Adams that described the role of rat czar as a “daunting, complex task†but one that Corradi handled “with confidence and creativity.â€

“The results are clear: rat sightings are down eight straight months, and year-to-date, they’re down more than 15 percent,†Adams said. “Our communities are cleaner than ever, and cities from across the globe are interested in her one-of-a-kind role and our city’s success.â€

“Hats off to Kathy for this incredible work, and we wish her the best in this future endeavor— thankfully, she is not going too far and will still be working to serve the city in a different capacity. This effort will continue at full steam, with our fantastic city agencies working to continue our ‘War on Rats’ with passion and vision.â€

It’s unclear precisely why Corradi is switching roles, but The City notes that others have recently left the Adams administration, which became embroiled in scandal when the mayor was first charged with bribery and campaign finance violations in September 2024. Adams was allegedly taking perks from the government of Turkey. And when the FBI seized his devices, the mayor claimed that he forgot the passcode to his own phone.

President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice dismissed the charges against Adams this past April amid accusations that the Mayor struck a backroom deal with the White House. Sightings may be down, but NYC’s rat problem undoubtedly persists.