A look at NYC's rat problem, past and present

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Rats are nothing new to New York City.  They've been around since the beginning of the city.  And efforts to control them have been around probably nearly as long.

But it seems to be getting worse.  In one example, according to a report by the Independent Budget Office, Brooklyn's rat population is on the rise, with an estimated 65,000 rodents roaming the borough, four times the number from the last few years.

And for all the efforts to contain the numbers of rats, it would seem this time-old problem has not changed in 40 years ago despite numerous "wars on rats".

A look into the FOX 5 archives uncovered a news report with a similar frustration with the problem in 1979.  It also included familiar descriptions, with New Yorkers describing seeing rats nearly the size of cats.

Some of the same "solutions" have failed over the decades, including putting out poison and trying to control the trash on the streets.  Those are the same solutions being touted in 2019.

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One change this time around is a new type of "rat proof" garbage can that is being deployed in several areas of the city.

No matter what happens, people will probably be seeing rats in New York City 40 years from now.  They'll probably also describe them as being the size of cats.