The Hernando County Sheriff's Office Explorer Post #409 is chartered by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It was established in 1984 to educate our youth about law enforcement procedures through training and service. Male and female candidates must be 14 (and completed the 8th grade) to 21 years of age, must maintain a minimum C average in middle school, high school or college, and will appear before Explorer Officers for an oral interview.

Explorers assist the Sheriff's Office by providing volunteer assistance in the Communications and Records sections. They participate in community service by providing traffic control and parking at various events, and they conduct educational programs such as McGruff the Crime Dog and Vince and Larry the National Safety Council Crash Dummies. Explorers receive training from certified law enforcement instructors in all areas of police work, including traffic stops and crash investigations, crisis intervention, and crime scene investigations. They are also offered a firearms familiarization and safety class.