People in Yonkers say along with the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also battling a rat issue. 

Judith Rodriquez lives near the intersection of Lawrence and Saratoga in Yonkers - a neighborhood besieged with rats.

"I usually run away run away from them because they are huge," she says. 

She says it's a longtime problem that needs to be addressed.

She doesn't want anyone getting bitten by them. 

City leaders are on the case and have developed an aggressive plan to tamp down on the rat problem, in part by placing specialized rat trap machines throughout the city. 

"This device will rid the rats that have plagued the streets of Yonkers - this device will get rid of rats in a humane way," says Yonkers City Councilwoman Tasha Diaz.

City officials insist the rat traps alone won't solve the problem, so they are asking the public to do their part.

This includes not littering and making sure trash cans are secure with lids on top.

City Council President Mike Khader says they'll be placing more than two dozen of the traps in high-problem neighborhoods.

"We got to have neighborhoods that are clean, we got to have neighborhoods that are safe, and we got to have neighborhoods where we can live with pride," says Khader.