Learn from Experience. Lead with Confidence.
Meet the professionals behind Fort Scott Community College’s Police Science Program.
When students enroll in Fort Scott Community College’s Police Science Program (formerly Criminal Justice), they’re gaining far more than classroom instruction—they’re learning directly from professionals who have dedicated their careers to serving their communities through law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and public safety.
While the program’s name has recently changed from Criminal Justice to Police Science, the curriculum, coursework, and commitment to student success remain the same. What continues to set the program apart is its instructors.
FSCC students learn from instructors whose combined experience spans decades of service in local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies. These are professionals who have investigated major crimes, led law enforcement agencies, served on the bench, trained officers, interviewed victims, managed correctional facilities, and educated future generations of criminal justice professionals.
Meet Our Faculty
Judge Gerald Hart (ret.)
Adjunct Instructor
Judge Gary Hart has devoted nearly five decades to public service and legal education.
A graduate of Fort Scott Community College, Pittsburg State University, and Washburn University School of Law, Judge Hart was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1976 before beginning private practice and serving as Assistant Bourbon County Attorney.
He later served more than twenty years as District Court Judge for Kansas’ Sixth Judicial District before joining the Fort Scott Community College faculty in 2007. Today he teaches Police Science, American Government, Sociology, and Geography while continuing to share the wisdom and perspective gained throughout an exceptional legal career.
“Our students gain firsthand insight from someone who has spent decades interpreting the law from both the courtroom and the bench.”
Chris Hall
Adjunct Instructor
With more than 25 years in law enforcement, Chris Hall currently serves as Chief of Detectives (Lieutenant) for the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, where he leads major investigations and oversees the Investigations Bureau.
Hall is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy and holds instructor certifications and advanced training in hostage negotiations, active shooter response, human trafficking investigations, forensic interviewing, SWAT operations, bloodstain pattern analysis, evidence handling, and numerous other specialized law enforcement disciplines.
Luke Demko
Adjunct Instructor
Luke Demko brings experience from multiple levels of law enforcement, having served with the University of Rhode Island Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, and now as a Special Agent with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
His work includes investigations involving crimes against children, forensic interviewing, hostage negotiations, active shooter response, firearms instruction, crisis intervention, and numerous other specialized law enforcement certifications that provide students with practical, real-world perspectives.
Vanessa Poyner
Dean of Students & Police Science Instructor
A Fort Scott Community College graduate herself, Vanessa Poyner earned degrees in Criminal Justice Administration before beginning her career as a Juvenile Officer with the Sixth Judicial District Community Corrections. Since 2007, she has served Fort Scott Community College as both a Criminal Justice instructor and now Dean of Students, helping prepare students for careers in public service while mentoring the next generation of professionals.
Katie Meister
Adjunct Instructor
Katie Meister has dedicated more than 20 years to the federal criminal justice system. In 2006, she was appointed as a United States Probation Officer for the Western District of Missouri, serving in a supervision unit and helping promote accountability, rehabilitation, and successful community reintegration.
Today, she serves as the Reentry and Program Specialist for the Western District of Missouri, overseeing Residential Reentry Center programs, the Pretrial Intensive Treatment Court, and the Second Chance Program. Her expertise in community corrections, reentry programming, and evidence-based practices provides students with valuable insight into the federal justice system.
More Than a Degree
Students in FSCC’s Police Science Program benefit from instructors who have built careers in:
- District Court
- Criminal investigations
- Sheriff’s offices
- Kansas Bureau of Investigation
- Community Corrections
- Juvenile Justice
- Public Safety Leadership
- Higher Education
These experiences bring classroom lessons to life, providing students with real-world examples, practical knowledge, and professional insight that cannot be found in a textbook alone.
Whether your goal is law enforcement, corrections, investigations, or another public safety profession, you’ll be learning from people who have lived the career.
Interested in a career in law enforcement or public safety?
There’s still time to enroll in Fort Scott Community College’s Police Science Program.