ATLANTIC CITY — The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office seeks to detain the most dangerous criminals under current bail law, and has the highest success rate in the state in detaining them, Prosecutor William Reynolds said Friday.

“We rank No. 1 in the detention rate, and in issuing the most summonses,” Reynolds said during the biweekly Clean and Safe Atlantic City meeting in Council Chambers.

Reynolds has been in the job for just about one year, having been nominated in May 2022 and approved by the state Senate Aug. 8, 2022.

His office’s success rate in getting a judge to agree to detention is 48.9%, Reynolds said, more than twice the 18.1% statewide average.

County Executive Dennis Levinson said Reynolds and his team have made the county the toughest on crime in New Jersey.

“Finally, we have a prosecutor who gets it,” Levinson said this week in a statement. “For years I have asked for stricter enforcement of our laws. Prosecutor Reynolds ... understands that without enforcement, our laws are ineffective.”

When a person is arrested and charged, Reynolds said, the police department and Prosecutor’s Office make a joint decision about whether to put a person on a summons or a warrant.

On a summons, a person is arrested, charged and released with a court date, Reynolds said.

Atlantic County prosecutor confirms no link between West Atlantic City, Gilgo Beach murders Atlantic County detectives don't believe there is a connection between the Gilgo Beach and West Atlantic City murders.

On a warrant, a person is detained and there is a detention hearing within 72 hours with a Superior Court judge, who decides whether the person will be released with conditions or retained pending trial.

“We’re not trying to detain everyone, only the people most dangerous to the community,” Reynolds said. “Atlantic County is a model for effectively using bail reform.”

Police Chief James Sarkos said his officers appreciate the county’s high detention rate.

“When they make an arrest of a violent individual, the prosecutor is stepping up and making sure they are detained,” Sarkos said. “That does wonders to stop future recidivism.”

In about 75% of cases, the prosecutor issues a summons. Only 25% are subject to warrants, he said.

“We have the highest rate of summonses,” Reynolds said of Atlantic County. “We are only putting the most serious on warrants and have been successful in detaining them.”

He said that is why violent crime numbers are down in the county.

There were 30 homicides countywide in 2012, 22 in 2017 and 14 in 2022, Reynolds said.

Atlantic County leads state in prosecuting, Reynolds says Hundreds of people who have committed crimes have been taken off the streets into drug or alcohol treatment or incarceration, Reynolds told participants in the biweekly Clean and Safe Atlantic City meeting at City Hall.

So far this year there have been five homicides, and only two involved likely gang or drug activity. Two were stabbings and three shootings.

“The warden has said the jail population prior (to Reynolds taking office) was 250 to 300,” Reynolds said. “It now is 800. More than 490 are pending trial.”

Reynolds said the right people are being detained.

“Those 492 are the most dangerous in Atlantic County,” he said.

His office recently won its 14th straight jury conviction since Reynolds took office, he said.

“From a safety standpoint, these numbers are significant,” Reynolds said. “The stats bear out, if they are only detained two days, the percentage likelihood of being a shooter or being shot goes down 300% to 400%.”