Homicide, assault, trauma
Crime scene cleanup in Sioux Falls
After a violent crime, the police and the coroner work the scene first. When they release it, an independent crime scene cleanup company can remove what is contaminated and return the room to a safe, clean state.
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The work
What crime scene cleanup involves
The company first looks at how far contamination has spread. Blood travels further than it appears: under flooring, into subfloor, along baseboards and into furniture.
Then it seals off the area, removes porous materials that cannot be cleaned, packs them as biohazardous waste, and cleans and disinfects hard surfaces. Fingerprint powder and other residue from the investigation can be cleaned up as part of the same job.
Ask the company what it will remove, what it expects to replace, how it treats odor and how it documents the work for insurance.
Paying for it
Victim compensation in South Dakota
Victim compensation can pay for homicide scene cleanup
South Dakota's Crime Victims' Compensation Program, run by the Department of Public Safety, lists homicide scene cleanup among the expenses it can pay. State law limits it to a home or a vehicle.
Source: SD Department of Public Safety ยท SDCL 23A-28B-1
Who does the cleaning matters
The law pays for cleanup done by people outside the victim's immediate family or household, such as a cleanup company.
Source: SDCL 23A-28B-1(13)
Deadlines
The application is due within one year, and the crime must have been reported to law enforcement within five days of when a report could reasonably be made.
Source: SDCL 23A-28B-25
No conviction needed
An award can be made whether or not anyone is charged or convicted.
Source: SDCL 23A-28B-23
Questions
Before you hire anyone
Ask whether the company can wait for a victim compensation decision or how it handles insurance billing. Ask for a written scope and price. Keep every invoice and receipt: the compensation program and insurers ask for them.
Who pays for cleanup explains insurance, compensation, landlords and estates in more detail.Other situations
Something else happened?
- Unattended death cleanupWhen someone died at home and was not found for some time.
- Suicide cleanupQuiet, careful cleanup so the family does not have to do it.
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupAfter an injury, a fall or a medical emergency at home or at work.
- Hoarding with biohazardsHomes where waste, sharps or spoiled food make clearing unsafe.
- Infectious disease cleanupCleaning and disinfecting after an illness, with the right products.
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or van.