Salisbury Police Department faces hiring and retention crisis
SALISBURY, Md. — Employee retention and recruitment at local police departments is a nationwide issue, and agencies on the Eastern Shore are feeling the effects. Officials discussed the growing concern in Salisbury.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes said, “There is no other profession where we expect people to work seven days a week. That’s the reality for law enforcement. They could have off on Monday and Tuesday and Friday, but then have to be in court on those days as well.”
Dykes is raising the alarm about law enforcement retention and recruitment at the local level. She stressed the importance of retaining experienced officers.
“Experience matters,” she said. “If experience decreases, liability costs to agencies and governments increase. Law enforcement officers are the only people who are allowed to take someone’s liberty without a court order. That’s a big deal.”
The issue of turnover rates is affecting both the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Salisbury Police Department.
Salisbury Police Chief David Meienschein said, “We’re all concerned about the same thing: being able to answer the call for service to the best of our ability, with the most experience possible. We don’t want to constantly be running with just brand-new officers all the time. We just need to retain that experience in the middle.”
Nearby cities are increasing wages to attract and retain officers.
- Berlin: $61,484 per year
- Ocean City: $64,000
- Georgetown: $74,000
- Rehoboth Beach: $78,809
- Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office: $70,000
Salisbury’s starting wage is the lowest in this group, at $57,413.
Dykes explained the concern with lower wages,”then the budgetary support mainly salary wise. That, they perceive a lack of support.”
Meienschein said, “We want to stay competitive, but I rely on city leadership to evaluate the finances and make the best judgment call.” He added, “I hate losing an experienced officer to another agency. We try to avoid that at all costs. Sometimes it’s not just about money—it’s about helping officers feel connected to something larger than themselves. We do our best to foster that feeling.”
Dykes added, “The long-term goal has to be public safety, because if our streets aren’t safe, we’re never going to attract businesses that want to develop here.”
The Salisbury Police Department has lost 18 officers to other agencies over the last five years.
The Salisbury City Council is set to discuss the retention and recruitment crisis at its next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, April 13.
