RUMFORD – The town will participate in an inmate public service program reinstituted by Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant.

Selectmen on Thursday approved a plan for several inmates at Oxford County Jail to help clean the roadsides in town.

Acting Town Manager Stacy Carter said the program will likely begin in Rumford in late May. He said for every two days an inmate works, he or she will receive a reduction in jail time of one day.

The offer will be made to every town in the county, Carter said.

In other police-related matters, Carter announced that the first graduation from the Rumford Police Department’s new Citizens’ Police Academy program takes place at 7 p.m. April 25 in the Municipal Building auditorium.

Carter said 11 men and women, who either live or work in Rumford, participated in the 10-week program led by officer Tracey Higley.

The purpose of the program is to educate the general population on the function of the Police Department so they can pass on this information to family and friends.

Also on Thursday, the board:

• awarded the contract for the purchase of a new Case front-end bucket loader to Beauregard Equipment of Scarborough at a cost of $72,139, including the trade-in of the public works’ department’s 1992 Caterpillar loader;

• tabled action on a revolving loan request following a closed session;

• and took no action on two complaints lodged by two residents against one town employee and one town official; Carter said because the discussion took place in closed session and no action was taken, the names of the complaintants and town official and employee were not a matter of public record.

• agreed to hear a request from Seth Carey asking for support for a casino in Oxford County at the board’s next meeting May 3.