City Council passes resolution targeting rat infestations in Lower Northeast Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia City Council has unanimously approved a resolution calling on multiple city departments to coordinate efforts to address rat infestations in the Lower Northeast section of the city.

Resolution 260819 calls on the Departments of Public Health, Licenses and Inspections, and Sanitation to work together to address the issue.

The action comes after residents in the Mayfair neighborhood reported significant rat problems on the 3000 block of Magee Avenue.

Anne Campion-Marotta said conditions were especially severe before the city intervened.

“At its worst, it was terrible. You couldn’t go back there. They were running rampant, like 15 to 20 rats at a time,” Campion-Marotta said.

Campion-Marotta said the city took action after the issue was highlighted in April, helping residents clear debris and placing poison traps in the alley.

“The back of our house is much better than it was,” she said.

Residents in other parts of Northeast Philadelphia say rodent infestations remain a concern. On the 4800 block of Oxford Avenue in the Oxford Circle neighborhood, Terrance Ellington described rat activity in the area.

“They go from there, the grass there, to over here,” Ellington said.

Sanitation workers also reported dealing with rat problems regularly. Steffon Poole, a sanitation worker, said unsecured trash contributes to the issue.

“Real bad. And they big, like New York. You ask me? These people out here feeding the rats,” Poole said.

While the resolution directs city departments to work together on the problem, details of how the coordinated effort will be carried out remain unclear. Still, some residents welcomed the move.

“I’m glad they are doing something about it,” Campion-Marotta said.

Action News has requested more details about how city departments will coordinate under the resolution that was sent to the mayor’s office.

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