By Terry Karkos,Staff Writer

RUMFORD – Selectmen at Thursday night’s meeting accepted the retirement notice of longtime Rumford Police Chief Timothy Bourassa.

Stephen G. Eldridge said that when he took the job of town manager in January, Bourassa let him know that he wanted to retire in December.

“We asked him to make it official, and I told him to give me six months to find a new chief,” Eldridge said.

“He’s been here 20-some odd years, and he’s been committed to the Police Department and to public safety,” he added.

In a memo to Eldridge, Bourassa stated that he had been in law enforcement for 29 years.

He said he has “been privileged to have spent 25 years of that time with the Rumford Police Department.

“I was fortunate to have worked many facets of the job from patrolman, detective lieutenant, special agent with drug enforcement, captain and chief of police,” Bourassa stated.

Dec. 23 is to be his last official day.

Eldridge said that starting in October, he would begin his search for a successor internally, within the department.

“I want to offer it to the people who work here,” he said, and would determine if anyone is qualified to fill the position.