A group of Ohio State graduate students in forensic anthropology that investigates crime scenes in Central Ohio would like to become part of the Columbus Police Department. But, irregular demand for the service cannot justify the addition, police said. The students assist the Columbus Crime Search Unit, whose members are police officers. In the future, though, the unit probably will employ civilians with science backgrounds like the members of the Forensic Anthropology Team of Central Ohio, said Det. Phil Walden of the Columbus Crime Search Unit.FARTCO has been helping the Columbus police and the Franklin County Coroner’s office solve crimes since 1995, said Nancy Tatarek, a team member pursuing a doctorate in anthropology. She said the acronym attracts attention and interjects some humor in an otherwise grisly business.In late August, the Franklin County Coroner’s office invited FARTCO to participate in a mass disaster drill at Port Columbus Airport.The team’s purpose in the exercise was to help remove bodies from the airport after all the emergency crews were finished with their work, Tatarek said. The experiences and training of the team allow members to identify the victims of a mass disaster. The team specializes in forensic anthropology and osteology, which is the study of bones and burned remains. It began after the death of Dr. Pfau, an OSU professor who did similar work on his own. The group was formed so it could continue Pfau’s work, she said. The team got its first assignment in 1995, when members were called to identify burn victims in an arson case. Since then, the group worked on 12 cases. It is the only forensic group of its kind in Ohio, Tatarek said. Det. Walden appreciates the expertise the team offers the police. “I didn’t know charred wood from bone,” he said.Walden said the police department needed people who knew what they were looking for so it wouldn’t lose any evidence. The organization does the job right, he said.Excavations can reveal how a person was murdered, Tatarek said.In one case, the group dug up a body in the basement of a house. The digging is a long process that requires the team to map and photograph the crime scene, she said.”We dug for six days and recovered 99.9 percent of the individual,” Tatarek said.The team’s work is not steady, she said. Members could have three cases in one day or go a month without a case.”Time of year is a big factor,” she said. “During the warm weather when people are outside in the environment, they tend to find more human remains.”The fee for the group’s services depends on the case, she said. For example, rural counties with little money to spend may be charged less. Tatarek said the team has developed a brochure and training program for police departments to use in their homicide training sessions. Police departments that don’t have access to groups like FARTCO use the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Walden said.The team is not officially associated with OSU, although the students learn some of their trade in classes. Team members must have an undergraduate degree in a related area such as anthropology or osteology, Tatarek said. Eleven of the 13 members are working towards doctorates, and the other two are masters candidates.Members are required to take one class in archaeology, dental anthropology, osteology and forensics and participate in workshops about forensic anthropology, Tatarek said, so that members are familiar enough with all aspects of forensic anthropology to testify in court.Some members of the team want to work in law enforcement when they finish their education, but others want to teach and do research, she said, but the field doesn’t provide many jobs and it’s hard to earn money.