In the aftermath of any hoarding cleanup, but especially after a violent crime, crime victims are left with a horrible mess to deal with. Broken glass, fingerprint dust, and sometimes blood and tissue have to be cleaned up and disposed of. Beyond the mess and damage there is a very real danger from biohazards. That’s why in the aftermath of crime – a violent crime and the police response to it – you need a qualified crime scene clean up company. Most crime scene cleanup falls into one of four categories.
- Homicide Scenes – Homicides are especially traumatic cleanup situations. The cleanup of a murder scene involves the removal and cleaning or disposal of items which have been contaminated with biohazardous materials such as body fluids, blood, or tissue matter. Crime scene cleanup technicians are trained in homicide cleaning. They are adept at tracking down and remediating areas that have been contaminated – areas that the untrained eye would not see. Whenever a firearm is used, there is often as much material that you cannot see as there is that is visible
- Burglary Scenes – Victims of burglary are usually in a state of high stress and agitation. There is a feeling of violation and lingering threat that results from burglary that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for crime victims to remain at the scene. A professional crime cleanup team can ease the pain of burglary by removing the evidence of the crime. Also, a trained crime scene cleaner can spot undiscovered evidence that might help the police to capture the burglar that the untrained eye might miss.
- Fingerprint Dust Removal – One of the most annoying and time-consuming aspects of crime scene cleaning is the removal of fingerprint dust. Crime scene investigators must be liberal in their application of fingerprint dust to ensure a thorough investigation. By design, fingerprint dust is very fine, spreading easily and sticking to everything. In fact, amateur attempts to clean fingerprint dust usually only make the situation worse.
- Blood Cleanup – The most dangerous aspect of crime scene cleanup is biohazard elimination. Blood, body fluids, and body tissue can carry pathogens and the risk of bloodborne diseases. Only trained individuals should clean up blood or body fluids. Blood and body fluids can penetrate fabrics, upholstery, and carpets – seeping into furniture, even down to subflooring. A technician trained in blood cleanup understands the depth necessary to completely eliminate the threat of lingering odor and potential biohazards.
Most crime scene cleanup services are covered by property insurance. Before hiring any company, ask if they will work directly with your insurer to assist in filing your insurance claim and ensure complete trauma scene decontamination. In some cases there are state victims’ assistance programs which will pay for services for those who do not have insurance or whose insurance will not cover the type of loss. In the end, thorough crime scene cleanup is worth the time and expense. It is a relief at a time of crisis and ensures the complete elimination of dangerous debris and biohazards.
By Scott Jemison, contributor
Jerry Turner is the founder and president of Advanced Bio Treatment, a biohazard response company. As a former police officer and insurance agency owner, Jerry saw the need for caring, competent and dedicated service to trauma victims. Disgusted with the crooks and the amateurs working scene cleanup, Jerry started Advanced Bio-Treatment with a focus on training, professionalism, and honest work. ABT understands that its services are needed as a result of some traumatic event. Whether it is a crime scene cleanup, suicide cleanup, or some other tragic event, ABT understands. As a result, all of the employees of ABT are chosen for their attention to detail, empathy, and desire to help others.
