Salisbury, MD — The City of Salisbury is proud to announce Assistant Chief David Meienschein has been named the Acting Police Chief to fill the Chief of Police position after the recent retirement of Barbara Duncan. Acting Chief Meienschein will remain in the position while the process for hiring a new police chief is conducted.
A Salisbury native, Acting Chief Meienschein joined the United States 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 Salisbury Police Department. His military career officially ended in 2003 when he retired from the reserves.
During his 35 years of service in the SPD, Acting Chief Meienschein has been assigned as an officer, supervisor, and commander. These leadership roles were in various departments including Operations, Special Operations, K-9, Crisis Negotiations Unit and Community Police Programs. As Assistant Chief he worked with Planning & Policy, budgeting, and as Commander of all three Major Divisions of the department: Operations, Criminal Investigations, and Administration.
He holds a Bachelor Degree in Human Resource Management and in 2005 graduated from the FBI National Academy Class #220. Acting Chief Meienschein has also earned a multitude of 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.
“His experience as Assistant Chief of Police for the last 12 years, his valued leadership in multiple units within the Department and his long list of awards made Meienschein the clear choice to lead our Police Department through this transition period”, said Mayor Jack Heath. “We look forward to his continued outstanding service to the Salisbury community during this period of change and beyond it.”
For more information about the SPD visit https://salisbury.md/departments/police.
