Will Reynolds got right to work Monday morning.
The longtime municipal prosecutor was sworn in as acting Atlantic County's prosecutor at a noon ceremony.
Before that, he and his new second-in-charge started going through what needs to be done.
"We got about five days' of work done before I picked my sons up from school," Reynolds said.
He replaces former acting Prosecutor Cary Shill, who retired Tuesday. Reynolds is expected to be officially approved within the next couple of weeks, permanently filling the position left vacant more than 10 months ago when Damon Tyner resigned amid allegations about his leadership.
"We're excited to get to work and help the people of the county," Reynolds said.
He was including new First Assistant Prosecutor Erik Bergman, who has been with the Prosecutor's Office for about 18 years, working in various units, including heading the Veteran’s Diversion Program, allows rehabilitative treatment in lieu of incarceration for eligible veterans charged with certain qualifying crimes.
The U.S. Army Reserve captain is a member of the Judge Advocate Generals Corps, or JAG, and supported active duty units on two tours in Germany.
"I've had my feet in all different waters," Bergman said.
Those include Major Crimes, Grand Jury and the Trial Unit, along with Gangs, Guns and Narcotics.
That background is expected to serve him well as Reynolds has plans for outreach to help the communities plagued by violence.
"My ultimate goal is to hit the ground running, focused on the community outreach," Reynolds told BreakingAC last month. "What can we do to serve the public? What best serves them?"
"He's got a pretty robust plan in place," Bergman hinted Monday.
Reynolds comes in a day after Atlantic City had its first homicide. He referenced the "horrific crime" as he addressed those gathered Monday.
He said if he had been sworn in then, "I would have left my brother's house and I would have been there, because that's who I am and who I want to be."
Reynolds said it's not about him but the office and who it represents: "I want to show everybody how much I really care."
