The number of 311 complaints for pests, specifically rats, is up by more than 5% in just a single year. Specifically, the number of pest complaints took a leap to 24,586 in fiscal 2013, from 22,300 the previous year.
“This is a rat race we’re all losing,” Comptroller Scott Stringer managed to tell the press with a straight face. “When people discover infestations in their homes and on their blocks, they expect a quick and effective response.”
Of the complaints, 24% were not addressed within the standard 10-day period, and in 160 cases, no field inspection was conducted at all. Stringer’s auditors expressed their greatest concerns over what they perceived as inspectors not properly recording what they saw in the field.
A spokesman for the Health Department said the agency “strongly disagrees” with the audit. (Photo: Walt Jabsco)
