Homicide, assault and trauma scenes

Crime scene cleanup in Sanford

When police have finished at a home where someone was killed or badly hurt, the family is often left with the room. An independent crime scene cleanup company can take that on.

Call (407) 548-1715

Phones answered 24 hours a day, every day

A hallway doorway sealed with clear plastic sheeting and an air machine on the tile floor

What the work involves

The company seals off the area and removes anything that cannot be cleaned safely, such as soaked carpet and pad, upholstered furniture or sections of drywall. Hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected. Fingerprint powder left by investigators can also be cleaned up if you ask.

Ask them to photograph the room before and after, and to list what they removed. If you claim from insurance or victim compensation later, those records help.

Florida victim compensation can pay for this

The Attorney General's Bureau of Victim Compensation lists crime scene cleanup among the costs it can pay. Its rule describes it as removing and disposing of biohazardous substances after a violent crime in the victim's own home or vehicle, done by a government-authorized provider (Rule 2A-2.2001).

Ask the company before work starts whether it has done jobs paid through the program, and call the Bureau at 1-800-226-6667 if you are unsure the job will qualify. The who pays guide has the deadlines.

Questions families ask

How soon after the release can cleanup start?

Often the same day or the next, but it depends on the company's schedule. Ask on the call.

Will the neighbors know?

Ask the company whether its vehicles are marked. Many will park and work as quietly as the job allows if you ask.

What if it happened at my business?

The company can work in a shop or office too. Florida's compensation rule names the victim's home or vehicle, so a business would usually look to its own insurer instead.

Call when you are ready

You will speak with an independent cleanup company that works around Sanford. Say what happened and where, ask what they would do and what affects the price, and take your time deciding.