Salisbury, MD — On Monday, July 28, during the Salisbury City Council meeting, the City of Salisbury proudly honored Captain Jason Yankalunas on the occasion of his retirement with an official mayoral proclamation. This proclamation, presented by Mayor Randy Taylor, recognized Captain Yankalunas’ nearly 30 years of exceptional service and unwavering dedication to the Salisbury community.
In his address, Mayor Taylor proclaimed:
“I, Randolph J. Taylor, Mayor of the City of Salisbury, do hereby proclaim July 28, 2025 as ‘Jason Yankalunas Day’ in our City in recognition and celebration of nearly 30 years of dedicated public service to our community as a career police officer. With gratitude and appreciation for his leadership, passion for seeking justice for victims, and for upholding the laws of the United States of America, the State of Maryland, and the City of Salisbury, we extend sincere best wishes on behalf of Salisbury City staff and citizens for an enjoyable and well-deserved retirement.”
Affectionately known as “Yank,” Captain Yankalunas was also awarded the State of Maryland Governor’s Citation, along with the Salisbury Police Department’s Retirement Medal and Certificate by City of Salisbury Police Chief Dave Meienschein. In a tradition that honors years of distinguished service, he also received a personalized display of the shields and medals earned throughout his career.
In a moving moment of appreciation, Captain Yankalunas’ wife of nearly 25 years, Jodi, was honored with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Salisbury Police Department, recognizing her steadfast support throughout her husband’s 29-year law enforcement career.
Chief Meienschein praised the Captain’s legacy, stating:
“Yank will be hard to replace with his tactical experience and respect from the rank and file.”
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1973, Captain Yankalunas graduated from Wyoming Area School District in 1991, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from King’s College in 1995 and graduated from the prestigious 247th session of the FBI National Academy in 2011.
Captain Yankalunas began his law enforcement career with the Salisbury Police Department on February 5, 1996. Over the course of his career, he served in the Operations, Administration, and Criminal Investigation Divisions, most recently as Commander of the Operations Division. His assignments included Patrol, Community Oriented Police Patrol (COPP), the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force, the Zero Tolerance Task Force, Vice Narcotics Unit and Special Operations.
He joined the Tactical Unit in 2001 and served as Unit Commander from 2008 to 2023. In 2023, he was promoted to Operations Division Commander, overseeing Patrol, Tactical, Communications, Crime Reduction and Animal Control units.
Throughout his career, Captain Yankalunas was recognized with numerous commendations, including the Community Policing Award, the Silver Star, multiple Chief’s Awards, the Meritorious Service Award, the Exceptional Duty Award, the Honorable Service Award, multiple Distinguished Service Awards, Unit Citations and countless Letters and Certificates of Appreciation.
He was steadfast in upholding his oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution,” earning the trust and respect of both colleagues and community members.
Mayor Taylor concluded:
“For both residents and City employees, it is always bittersweet to lose a great police officer like Jason Yankalunas. His experience, talent and loyalty are irreplaceable. While he will surely be missed, the City of Salisbury wishes him health and happiness in his well-earned retirement.”
