As mental-health cases pile up on the desks of Kamloops RCMP, the city’s top Mountie and local politicians want to see the Car 40 program expanded and plan to meet with Interior Health to ask for additional nursing hours.

On Tuesday, Kamloops RCMP Supt. Syd Lecky shared police statistics with the city during a community services committee meeting, noting a rise in files related to the Mental Health Act.

In the first six months of the year, the city had 900 such files, but there were only 230 Car 40 interventions, wherein a mental-health nurse and RCMP officer attend.

Car 40 is a program that pairs a mental-health practitioner with an RCMP officer as they respond to calls involving mental-health situations.

Lecky said that while the city supports two police officers for the program, only one nurse is currently funded by Interior Health.

“I see a movement of a need to continue towards more partnerships and I do hope Interior Health is able to help us in that regard,” Lecky said.

Coun. Dale Bass said she and Coun. Kathy Sinclair met with the head of the western region of Interior Health in recent weeks, at which time they discussed the Car 40 program, among other issues.

Bass said a funder (RIH Foundation CEO Heidi Coleman) was interested in finding money for half a nursing position to expand the program. However, Bass said Interior Health’s senior management is not interested, citing the fact the program not being used enough.

Bass pointed to Lecky’s statistics and said she is “angry.” In addition, a Change.org petition launched at the beginning of this year also calls for expansion of the Car 40 program and has garnered about 5,500 online signatures.

“There’s got to be a better way,” Bass said.

Mayor Ken Christian said Interior Health called the program “under-utilized,” with three calls per day. He takes issue with that, noting the cases are complex and time-consuming.

“I really was uncomfortable with their statement that this was under-utilized, when we have all around us a call for more mental-health services and supports in our community,” Christian said.

He said mental-health nurses who wish to work the late shift may be in short supply, but “that’s really when there’s a lot of crises.”

Lecky told KTW the Car 40 program operates during the week and during daytime hours — part of the issue in not being able to address the significant number of files related to the Mental Health Act.

“We’re providing most of the cards at the table here,” Christian said. “Because we’ve got the police officer, we’ve got the equipment, we’ve got the car. That’s a big hunk of the expense. We’re prepared to make that investment. I’m really getting a little frustrated that their smaller portion of that is holding up the implementation.”

The committee voted to send a recommendation to council for staff to investigate the hours in which the program operates and request more hours for the program.

KTW reached out to Interior Health to ask whether it would expand the program and to discuss its hours and usage. In an emailed statement, Interior Health said it is working with police and other partners on effective solutions for people who require urgent mental-health support.

“We must look at the whole picture, including the specific needs of the community and how to make the best use of available resources,” the statement reads.

“Meetings scheduled in the coming weeks will provide an opportunity to review what is already in place and what may be needed to support the largest number of people in need of mental-health support.”