The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has begun accepting applications for its sixth Citizen’s Academy, sheriff’s office spokesman Lt. Steve Lewis said in a news release Friday.

The academy, which aims to educate participants on the duties of the sheriff’s office, will run from Aug. 20 through Oct. 1, meeting every Thursday evening from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. There also will be two additional all-day Saturday sessions, the release said, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 29 and Sept. 12.

Attendees will receive both classroom and hands-on instruction on several topics, including driving skills, car-stop techniques, field sobriety testing, building searches, defensive tactics and use of force.

Sheriff Ken McGovern has seen first-hand how participant and sheriff’s office staff have benefitted from participating in the citizen’s academy, Lewis noted.

“His hope is that this and future academies will build a greater public awareness of the essential role the Sheriff’s Office plays in serving the community,” Lewis said.

Interested individuals must be Douglas County residents and 18 years of age or older. Applications are available at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St., or at the Douglas County Jail, 3601 E. 25th St. Completed applications can be brought to either location, mailed to the Sheriff’s Office in the JLEC, faxed to 785-841-5168 or emailed to Lewis at slewis@dgso.org.

To apply online, visit http://www.dgso.org/web/index.php?option=com_rsform&view=rsform&Itemid=224.