The BC Liberals are promising a $250,000-dollar boost to the Car 40 program in Kamloops if elected.

The program pairs a mental health worker with an RCMP officer when responding to mental health calls.

Andrew Wilkinson says this campaign promise came as a recommendation from candidates Peter Milobar and Todd Stone.

“The goal, initially, is to put $250,000 out of the Interior Health budget, rather than the public safety budget. Because there are chronic issues about where is the money coming from and who is accountable, and so forth. And these are health issues. I was a medical doctor in earlier years, and you treat health issues as health issues.”

Car 40 only operates for 40 hours a week, from Tuesday to Friday, and there have been widespread calls locally to expand it.