Conway City Council voted 7-1 to approve using the police department’s asset forfeiture funds to purchase two more K-9 units Feb. 28, but the discussion afterward led to a spat between Mayor Bart Castleberry and Councilwoman Cindy Webb about pending civil rights lawsuits against the city.

“I think transparency is so important in our government,” Webb said. “I’m uncomfortable seeing that there is some pending litigation against the city and the PD at this moment by two different people.”

“We’re not going to talk about pending litigation against the city in this meeting,” Castleberry said. “That’s where we need to stop.”

“Because Conway citizens don’t need to know?” Webb asked. “So, I’m being told to shut up. OK.”

Webb voted no on the ordinance, which moved $61,782 from the assets forfeiture account to fund the purchase of two dogs, handler courses and equipment, but voted yes on other CPD-related ordinances.

Chief William Tapley said one of the department’s goals was to expand the department’s K-9 program.

“Currently, we have four K-9s. One of those is assigned to our narcotics investigators, one of those is assigned to our schools. We have two that do more patrol-type functions,” Tapley said.

“They’re gonna run probably between $13,500 and $16,500 for a dog,” Tapley said, adding the cost went up.

Tapley said the equipment includes items like “insurance, dog food, kennels.”

City Councilwoman Cindy Webb asked Tapley if the equipment will include a “properly sized bite suit” for female handlers to work with dogs.

Tapley said, “We provide the proper equipment.”

Tapley did not acknowledge the race and gender discrimination lawsuit from Officer Brittany Byrd, who says she was the department’s first female K-9 handler.

Byrd’s suit alleges she faced retaliation after reporting her superior’s conflicts of interest; specifically, she reported that Major Clayton Smith misused public funds to benefit his dog-training company, “Clay’s Top Dog.” She also said she received more dog bites than other handlers.

The council approved a personnel adjustment that will reclassify a department officer position as a sergeant position, which pays $13,800 more.

“We’ve previously had a crime suppression unit. Due to staffing, we weren’t able to keep that up and running,” Tapley said. “We’re trying very hard to get back into that.”

“It’s a very important unit to have a supervisor, and we currently don’t have a supervisor that I can get in that unit,” Tapley said, adding the previous supervisor was moved to help with training.

Castleberry said the council’s previous raises for CPD had a “tremendous impact.”

“Chief was able to hire four certified personnel and he feels like he’s going to be back to full staffing,” Castleberry said. “With full staffing, then he can put the crime suppression unit back on the street.”

The next city council meeting will take place March 28 at 1111 Main St.