Prince George’s County police honor Explorers, advisors and families at ceremony

Prince George’s County police used a weekend ceremony to put the spotlight on a youth pipeline that begins in middle school and can carry teens toward policing, public safety and leadership roles. The Community First Division honored Explorers, advisors and families, recognizing an Explorer of the Year and promoting one participant to Major.

The ceremony came as Chief George Nader continued to steer the department, which he has led since June 18, 2025 after serving as assistant chief of police for the Metro Transit Police Department. His presence underscored the department’s interest in building local ties through programs aimed at young people who may one day wear a badge.

The Explorer program is part of the Community First Division, the branch that handles community programs, outreach and youth-oriented efforts for the department. County materials describe it as a work-based training program for youth ages 14 to 21 interested in law enforcement and public safety. A related Explorer Club serves youth ages 11 to 14, creating an earlier entry point for families looking to get children involved.

County youth-program materials say the initiative is run with the Learning for Life Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America and is designed to promote citizenship, build character and develop physical and mental fitness. The program’s history dates back to 1976, giving it nearly five decades as one of the department’s longest-running youth efforts.

That long runway matters in Prince George’s County, where the police department is the fourth-largest law enforcement agency in Maryland. More than 1,500 police officers and 300 civilians serve nearly 900,000 residents and business owners, a scale that makes local recruiting and community trust especially important.

For families, the pathway is straightforward. Youth ages 11 to 14 can start in the Explorer Club, while teens ages 14 to 21 can move into the Explorer program itself. The structure gives younger participants a chance to build confidence and discipline before stepping into a more advanced public-safety track.

The ceremony also reflected a broader question facing departments across the region: how to recruit locally while rebuilding trust. By honoring youth, advisors and parents together, Prince George’s County police signaled that the pipeline is not just about future staffing. It is also about connecting teenagers from across the county to service, leadership and the daily work of public safety.