Riverside and nearby towns

Crime scene and trauma cleanup in Riverside

After a homicide, an assault or another violent event, the room is not yours to deal with alone. Once the police release it, an independent cleanup company can take it from there.

Call (951) 518-9569

Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

A doorway sealed with clear plastic sheeting in a quiet hallway

When can the cleanup start?

Not until the investigators have finished. The officers or detectives at the scene will tell you when the home is released. If you are unsure, ask the agency that handled it.

In the City of Riverside that is the Riverside Police Department. Its 24-hour non-emergency number is (951) 354-2007 (Riverside Police).

In Jurupa Valley, Eastvale, Norco and Perris the Riverside County Sheriff does police work. The sheriff's west county non-emergency dispatch is (951) 776-1099. Moreno Valley has its own: (951) 247-8700 (Sheriff contact list).

What the work involves

Blood and fluids travel further than they appear to. They run under baseboards, into carpet padding and through gaps in flooring. A cleanup company checks behind and beneath what you can see.

Anything porous that has absorbed fluids is usually cut out and removed: carpet and pad, drywall, upholstered furniture, mattresses. Hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected.

The waste is bagged and boxed and leaves with the crew as medical waste. Under California law it goes to a permitted facility, not into your bins.

An empty room with a tile floor and an arched window after cleaning

Victim compensation can help

When a crime happens in a home or a vehicle, the California Victim Compensation Board may reimburse whoever pays for the cleanup. It pays for biohazard cleanup only, not for damaged property, and only when the company is registered with the California Department of Public Health.

CalVCB pays after other sources, such as insurance. In Riverside County the District Attorney's claims unit helps with applications: (951) 955-5460 or DVSClaims@RivCoDA.org (District Attorney).

Keep every invoice and receipt. Do not throw out damaged items before they have been photographed.

Questions to ask the company

Is the company on the California Department of Public Health's list of registered trauma scene waste management practitioners? CDPH posts that list.
What exactly will be removed, cleaned and disinfected, and what will be left for you to decide on?
Will they give you a written scope and price before the work starts?
Will they take photos and keep paperwork that an insurer or the state compensation board may ask for?
Can they set aside papers, photos and other personal things they find?

Questions about crime scene cleanup

Do the police clean up afterwards?

No. Investigators collect evidence and then release the scene. Cleaning is left to the owner or the family, which is why companies like this exist.

Can family members stay away during the work?

Yes. The company can work with a key or a neighbor, and can call you with questions.

Will the neighbors know?

Ask the company about plain vehicles and how they carry out waste. Many try to be discreet.

When you are ready, call

You do not need to know what kind of cleanup it is. Say what happened and where, and an independent company that works in the Riverside area will talk it through with you. Hiring them is your choice.

Talk to a cleanup company

Call (951) 518-9569

Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

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