SILVERHILL, Alabama — Silverhill’s canine police officer will soon be back in service following action taken Monday night, Sept. 21 at the Silverhill Town Council meeting.

Marley, a 5-year-old lab, was purchased in July of 2014 from Officer Billy Coley, who used the dog with the Loxley Police Department.

After issues surfaced with Marley’s training, a new handler Officer Hugh Bohannon began working with Marley in June, said Silverhill Police Chief Kim Wasdin.

From June through September, Wasdin said, Bohannon and Marley have made eight arrests for illegal narcotics and/or narcotic paraphernalia and have assisted three Baldwin County Law Enforcement agencies numerous times.

“Our goal is for those looking to deal in drugs or transport drugs through Silverhill to be terrified knowing that we have a canine officer and he is affective,” Bohannon said at Monday’s meeting.

Marley has not been able to work, however, since the vehicle used to transport the canine officer is in need of serious repairs, including a complete engine overhaul, which will cost the town more than $3,000.

“Marley is an 80-pound dog, you can’t just load him up in the back of a patrol car,” Wasdin said. “You have to be able to properly transport him.”

Concerns also surfaced about keeping Marley safe following the death of a canine officer in Gulf Shores.

“We don’t want that to happen here,” said Mayor Tim Wilson, “and we are doing everything we can to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

While Wasdin said it was not her primary concern to get funding for a new vehicle or fix the town’s existing vehicle, it is important for the council to know that Marley is an effective tool in fighting crime in Silverhill.

Many of the initial costs to purchase Marley and provide for his upkeep were paid for through an equipment fund, she said, with minimal costs over the past few months.

“We have spent a grand total of $462 on Marley since he was purchased,” Wasdin said. Just in the last few months the town has collected more than $1,500 related to arrests made by Bohannon and Marley and that figure is expected to jump to nearly $7,000 with cases expected to be heard next month.

“I just want you to know that if we spend this money, whether it be to fix the current vehicle or to purchase a new vehicle, it will not be a waste of the town’s resources,” Wasdin said.

Officials said Monday that attempts to purchase a vehicle through the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department have been unsuccessful and it could be next year before suitable vehicles become available. Attempts to find vehicles for purchase through govdeals.com have also proved unsuccessful.

It will cost about $2,800 to purchase and install a new engine for the current vehicle, plus there are additional costs.

The council voted unanimously Monday to spend up to $3,600 to fix the vehicle. Council member Shirley Stephens was not present at Monday’s meeting.

In other business Monday, council members engaged in a lengthy discussion regarding recent changes to the town’s ordinance regarding garbage pickup.

In June, council members agreed to make changes to the town ordinance after complaints surfaced over residents putting garbage out in bags and loose boxes.

Council members agreed to have the ordinance modified, taking out language referring to plastic bags, making it a requirement for garbage to be placed in waterproof containers with a lid.

Language was also be added regarding fines for noncompliance.

Discussion of the ordinance surfaced after Wasdin reported finding nearly 20 violations within a 30-minute period while patrolling last week.

“This is just going to be nearly impossible to enforce,” Wasdin said at Monday’s meeting.

After a long discussion on the issue, it was decided that discretion should be used in issuing citations and following up on violations to the ordinance.

“If it’s not causing a major problem, no action needs to be taken,” Wilson said.

If complaints resurface, consideration could be given to revising the ordinance, officials said.