Crime Scene Cleanup in Southwest Ohio

What happens before cleanup can start

The scene belongs to law enforcement until they say otherwise. In Cincinnati that usually means one of the Cincinnati Police Department's districts; in Dayton, the Dayton Police Department; in places like Colerain Township or West Chester, township police; and in many rural areas, the county sheriff. The Ohio State Highway Patrol handles many crashes on I-75, I-71 and I-70.

When a death is involved, the county coroner also has a role. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office shares its Blue Ash building with the county crime laboratory. Montgomery County's elected coroner covers Dayton and its suburbs, and Butler, Warren, Greene and Clark counties have their own.

Do not start cleaning until an officer or detective tells you the property is released. Cleaning early can disturb evidence. Once it is released, the home on a Walnut Hills side street or the storefront on Wayne Avenue is back in the owner's hands.

What a cleanup company does at the scene

In plain terms, the crew finds every place affected, removes what cannot be cleaned, and disinfects the rest. In a Mount Healthy duplex that may mean carpet and pad; in a Springfield bar it may mean ceiling tile, a booth or drywall. Waste leaves the property as regulated medical waste, not in the household trash.

Fingerprint powder and chemical residue left by investigators are also part of many jobs. Crews can clean those from walls, doors and windows so the house in Forest Park or the apartment in Huber Heights can be lived in again.

Some jobs also need repair to make a home secure, like a broken door frame or window. Ask whether the company can board up or refer you to a contractor in Butler or Greene County.

Common parts of a scene job

• Documenting the area with photos for the insurer and victims compensation
• Removing affected flooring, furniture, drywall or fixtures
• Cleaning and disinfecting hard surfaces
• Removing fingerprint powder and other investigation residue
• Odor treatment if needed
• Disposing of waste as regulated medical waste

How much does crime scene cleanup cost in Southwest Ohio?

There is no flat price. What drives the bill is how big the affected area is, how deeply materials are involved, how many rooms and stories there are, and how far the crew drives, whether to Over-the-Rhine or a farmhouse outside Eaton in Preble County.

Small, contained jobs cost far less than ones that reach the subfloor or ductwork. Any honest company should look at the property, or at clear photos, and put a written estimate in your hands. Treat any price given over the phone for a Cincinnati or Dayton job as a rough guess, not a quote.

The state victims fund and your insurance

The Ohio Attorney General runs a crime victims compensation program for innocent victims of violent crime. Ohio Revised Code 2743.51 lets it reimburse scene cleaning plus repairs that restore security, such as a broken door or window, with $750 as the combined limit for one claim. Total awards for all expenses are capped at $50,000.

The usual deadline is three years after the crime. Applications go in online, by mail to the Attorney General's office in Columbus, or ask a victim advocate at the prosecutor's office in Hamilton or Montgomery County for help. Claim questions can go to 614-466-5610, the direct number for the Crime Victim Services section, while 800-282-0515 is the toll-free help center for the whole Attorney General's office.

The $750 is a ceiling for eligible claims, not a promise, and it rarely covers a whole job. Homeowner's insurance often helps with damage to the building in Ohio, while a renters policy mainly covers what the tenant owns. For an apartment in Clifton Heights or the Oregon District, the landlord's policy usually comes into play for walls and floors. Keep every invoice and photo.

When police are done: making the call

Call once police release the property, at any time of day. Have the street address and county, the owner's or landlord's name, insurance information, and the police report number if you have it. That number helps with both an insurance claim and a victims compensation claim.

Coverage is by county. The Cincinnati number serves all of Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Brown and Clinton, but only Loveland and Goshen in Clermont and only Leesburg and Lynchburg in Highland. The Dayton number serves all of Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby, plus a handful of ZIPs in Logan, Union, Madison and Fayette. Northern Kentucky and Columbus are not covered.

Looking after yourself and your household

Living in a home after a crime can be hard even once it is clean. Victim advocates at the Hamilton County and Montgomery County prosecutors' offices can explain the compensation claim and court dates, and counseling is one of the expenses Ohio's program may help eligible victims pay for.

Some families stay with relatives in Mason, Miamisburg or elsewhere until the work is finished. That is a reasonable choice. Leave a key with a trusted neighbor or the landlord so the crew can get in, and ask the company to call you when the home is ready for a walk-through.

If a door or window was broken, ask about boarding it the same visit the crew starts, so the house on your street in Avondale or Five Oaks is secure while repairs are scheduled.

Businesses, vehicles and rentals

Scenes are not always homes. A store on Glenway Avenue, an office in downtown Dayton or a car parked off I-675 can all need the same work. Business owners should call their commercial insurer early, since many commercial policies are written differently from homeowner's coverage, and should keep the space closed to staff and customers until cleaning is done.

For a vehicle, the owner hires the cleanup company once police release it. If it is in a tow yard in Hamilton or Montgomery County, ask the yard whether a crew can work there or whether the car must be moved first.

When the scene is a rented unit, the building's owner normally books the cleanup for floors and walls, while the tenant deals with personal things. A tenant in a Walnut Hills apartment who was the victim may still be able to apply for victims compensation for eligible costs they paid.

Questions to ask a crime scene cleanup company

These questions apply from Hamilton to Xenia. Write down the answers and get the important ones in writing.

• What training do your workers have under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard?
• Will you document the job in a way that works for victims compensation and my insurer?
• Can you remove fingerprint powder and other residue left by investigators?
• Who hauls the waste, and will I get a disposal record?
• Is the estimate written, and what could make it change?
• Can you help secure a broken door or window, or refer someone who can?