Following a national search to fill the position, Salisbury has selected David Meienschein as the city’s new Police Chief.

A 36-year veteran of the Salisbury Police Department, Meienschein has served in numerous capacities over his career, including 12 years as Assistant Chief of Police and the last two months as Acting Chief. 

“It is my honor to have served the citizens of Salisbury as a career officer and look forward to the future in my new role as Chief of Police,” said Meienschein. “Growing up in Salisbury, I have a vested interest in this community and will dedicate myself to leading the department by focusing on employee wellness, community collaboration, combating crime and helping our citizens feel safe.”

He began his public safety career in 1987 as a Police Officer and K-9 Handler. During his tenure he has been promoted through the ranks and has been serving as Acting Chief of Police since June.

He has held many administrative and operational positions within the police department. In these roles, he has focused on Community Oriented Policing, crime reduction and police-community relations.

The Salisbury native has emphasized the importance of staffing and resource allocation while addressing community issues during his career. He was a U.S. Air Force active-duty Senior Master Sergeant from 1982 to 2003 and served in the Air Force Reserve until 2003.

Meienschein has also earned awards and recognition of service from the SPD including: The Salisbury Police Department Community Policing Award/Military Service Award, COPP Unit Citation/Exceptional Service Award, Educational Achievement/Marksmanship Award, Canine Service Award, Honorable Service Award/Distinguished Achievement in Public Service, and numerous letters of recognition and appreciation for performance in the field and community policing activities.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Wilmington University in Georgetown and is a member of the 2005 Graduate Class Session 220 of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

Meienschein joined the Air Force after graduating from Parkside High School in 1982. He served on active duty for four years before joining the Air Force Reserves in 1987. His career in law enforcement began the same year when he became a seasonal police officer in Ocean City, and then a police recruit for the SPD. His military career officially ended in 2003 when he retired from the reserves.

The city engaged Strategic Government Resources to assist in conducting the extensive national search that resulted in an impressive candidate pool. SGR is an executive recruitment firm based in Texas, specializing in recruiting, assessing, and developing innovative, collaborative, and authentic leaders for local governments. SGR’s proprietary recruitment and vetting process produced an incredibly strong field of candidates, with 29 applications from candidates in 15 states. The City also established a Citizen Police Chief Search Committee which reviewed the background and application materials of the candidates with SGR and ultimately selected the four finalists.

Meienschein was the top choice of both the City administration and the Citizen Police Chief Search Committee.