Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small on Monday declined to weigh in on the NAACP’s call for the resignation of Atlantic County Prosecutor Will Reynolds, saying he would not try his case “in the media” and would instead remain focused on running the city.
The issue surfaced during an appearance on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on WOND radio, following a news conference held earlier in the day at Second Baptist Church. The Atlantic City branch of the NAACP, led by Councilman Kaleem Shahbaz, criticized Reynolds’ handling of high-profile cases involving local officials, including the prosecution of Small and the subsequent dismissal of charges against his wife and Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Day Chapman.
Small, identifying himself as a proud NAACP member, said he respected the organization’s actions but would not comment further.
“That is the NAACP decision, which I wholeheartedly respect,” Small said. “I made a public pledge at the State of the City address that I won’t make any public comment on the matter concerning the case, the dismissal and everything else. Anything that will be talked about… will come from my attorney.”
He added, “You don’t try cases in the media. You try cases with the jury. For two years, my case was tried through the media… When I did my day in court, it’d be a different story. And it was.”
Cronick noted that Reynolds has said he remains committed to upholding the law “with integrity and independence” and invited the prosecutor to appear on the program later this week. Reynolds accepted and will appear on News Talk 1400 and 92.3 WOND Wednesday February 11th at 5pm.
Shifting to city business, Small emphasized that his administration is focused on what he called a new chapter for Atlantic City, anchored by the theme of this year’s State of the City address: “Faith, resilience, redemption — the future is ours.”
“I don’t want to fight nobody. Please leave me alone. Let me do my job,” Small said. “It’s time for the city, it’s time for my family, and it’s time for this community to heal.”
The mayor pointed to public safety statistics as a key achievement. According to Small, Atlantic City has seen significant reductions in violent crime, including a 59% drop in shootings, which he said ranks first in the state as tracked by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
“It doesn’t pay to do crime in Atlantic City,” Small said, citing expanded use of license plate readers, artificial intelligence technology and new police drones capable of reaching crime scenes quickly. “The great city of Atlantic City actually has four mini helicopters at a fraction of the cost.”
Development remains another cornerstone of the administration’s agenda. Small said the long-anticipated redevelopment of Bader Field is closer than ever to formal approval and could soon appear on a City Council agenda.
“Bader Field will happen. This is as close as we’ve ever been,” he said, adding that the project is key to future tax relief and fiscal stability.
He also highlighted housing developments in the Inlet, along Atlantic Avenue and near Gardner’s Basin, describing them as “truly a game changer.”
“I’m just excited at this time to be mayor of the great city of Atlantic City,” Small said.
