Democrat Darcel Clark made history Saturday when she was sworn in as the first female District Attorney in the Bronx, and as NY1's Natalie Duddridge reports, the work has already started.
"I am Darcel Clark Bronx District Attorney."
Testing out her new title, Darcel Clark was officially sworn in at Lehman College.
Family, friends and elected officials took part in the ceremony, including Senator Charles Schumer and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"The people of The Bronx got it right, my friends," the mayor said. "They chose Darcel Clark."
Clark is not only the Borough's first new District Attorney in over two-and-a-half decades, she's the first ever female D.A. in the Bronx and the first African-American woman to hold that post in the state.
"To see history made today because I'm a black woman at 86-years-old I have watched our community go from riches to rags, and we're going back to riches again," said Elizabeth Gill, president of the 47th Precinct Community Council.
During her inauguration, Clark pledged to serve victims and defendants alike.
"We will not rest until we do what justice requires," she said.
Clark says she's barely been in office two weeks and she's already getting to work — creating a gun-readiness unit to fast track gun cases.
She also says she'll focus on eliminating case backlog and ensure speedier trials.
"With the shortage of judges and resources with the police department we weren't able to effectively do them all but now with the cooperation of the mayor and Police Department we are ready willing and able to get it done," Clark said.
"She's also set an agenda in regards to Rikers Island which has been such a topic where still see so many cases of inmates and officers being hurt," said Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.
Clark was an Appellate Judge before stepping down to accept the Democratic Party's nomination.
She replaces former D.A. Robert Johnson, who dropped out of the race in a controversial maneuver in September.
She easily beat out the Conservative Party candidate.
Now she pledges lasting change in her community, the Borough she was raised in, that she says is in her bones.