Crime Scene Cleanup: What It Involves

The Restoration Resource

A crime scene cleanup service is not without its complications. Crime scene cleaning encompasses restoring the crime scene to its original state. When a crime is usually discovered, crime scene cleaners are not called until after officers of the law, like the crime scene investigators, have done their jobs first and have given the go ahead for the cleaners to come in. If you intend to hire a crime scene cleanup company, you must make sure that they are well equipped and fit right to get the job done. A crime scene presents challenging conditions.

The Use Of Protective Gears:
Crime scenes can very well involve the use of hazardous or deadly substances. For safety reasons then, it has become imperative that crime scene cleaners use protective clothing, in addition to protective tools and gadgets. You must see to it that they have all the necessary protective gears and gadgets. The protective clothing can consist of disposable gloves and suits. A disposable gear is preferred nowadays since it offers the best protection against contamination. You use it one time and get rid of it. That way, the dangers of contamination is virtually brought down to zero percent. Protective clothing extends to respirators and the use of heavy-duty industrial or chemical-spill protective boots.

Among the gadgets that a crime scene cleaning company must have are special brushes, special sprayers, and wet vacuum. These special tools ensure added protection against getting into contact with the hazard could very well be present in the crime scene. There is large, special equipment such as a mounted steam injection tool that is designed to sanitize dried up biohazard materials such as scattered flesh and brain. You would also need to check if they have the specialized tank for chemical treatments and industrial strength waste containers to collect biohazard waste.

Of course, any crime scene clean up must have the usual cleaning supplies common to all cleaning service companies. There are the buckets, mops, brushes and spray bottles. For cleaning products, you should check if they use industrial cleaning products. A crime scene cleaning company must have these on their lists:

1 - Disinfectants including hydrogen peroxide and bleaches - The kinds that the hospitals used are commonly acceptable.

2 - Enzyme solvers for cleaning blood stains. It also kills viruses and bacteria.

3 - Odor removers such as foggers, ozone machines, and deodorizers

4 - Handy tools for breaking and extending such as saws, sledgehammers, and ladders

Established crime scene operators also equip themselves with cameras and take pictures of the crime scene before commencing work which. The pictures taken may prove useful for legal matters and insurance purposes. You never know which.

Needless to say, a specially fitted form of transportation and proper waste disposal is also needed. These requirements are specific. As you can imagine, crime scene cleaning is in a different category on its own. A home cleaning or janitorial service company may not be able to cope up with the demands of a crime scene. A crime scene cleanup service requires many special gears and tools that a home cleaning or a janitorial service company does not usually have or does not require. Crime scene cleaning if not done correctly can expose the public to untold hazards.

What Else To Look For In A Crime Scene Cleanup Company
You may also want to hire a company that has established itself. An experienced company with a strong reputation is always a plus but it could be expensive too. You will do well to balance your needs with what is your budget. There are several companies that offer specific prices such as for death scene clean up categories and suicide clean up categories. Most companies own a website and have round the clock customer service as receptionists.

When looking for a suitable crime scene cleaning service, among the first things you need to do is to scout for price quotes. Crime scene cleanup services usually provide quote after they have examined the crime scene and then they give you a definite quote. Factors that are usually considered include the number of personnel that will be needed to get the job done. It also includes the amount of time that might be needed. The nature and amount of the waste materials that need to be disposed will also be factored in. You can be sure that the more sophisticated equipments needed the more expensive it will get.

Crime Scene Cleanup And Your Insurance
For homeowners, the best approach is always to make sure that crime scene cleanup services clauses and provisions are written down on the contracts or policies. The inclusion of crime cleanup services clauses is very common and has become standard clause in most homeowner’s policy. Make sure that you are covered for this unforeseen event. Make sure that your policy directs the crime scene cleaning company to transact directly with the homeowner insurance company. A crime scene cleaning service is usually a standard clause in many homeowners’ insurance clause. These companies often do the paperwork in behalf of clients.

If for some reason you do not have such coverage by any policies relating to crime scene cleanup on your home, there are ways to keep your expenses controlled.

Finding the right company can be very taxing, especially that you have to deal with the emotional stress stemming from the crime itself, especially with a crime scene involving death.

There are many crime scene cleanup companies in operation nowadays. There are reliable professionals that you can hire and prices are relatively competitive. As of recently, crime-scene cleanup services can cost up to $600 for an hour of their service. A homicide case alone involving a single room and a huge amount of blood can cost about $1,000 to $3,000.

In recent years, crime scene cleaning has come to be known as, "Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination or CTS. Basically, CTS is a special form of crime scene cleaning focusing on decontamination of the crime scene from hazardous substances such as those resulting from violent crimes or those involving chemical contaminations such as methamphetamine labs or anthrax production. This type of service is particularly common when violent crimes are committed in a home. It is rare that the residents move out of the home after it has become a scene of a crime. Most often, the residents just opt to have it cleaned up. That is why, it is very important to hire the best crime scene cleaning company out there. The place needs to be totally free from contamination of any kind. You have to make sure that the company is able to remove all traces of the violent crime that took place. This includes cleaning biohazards that are sometimes invisible to the untrained eye.

Legally speaking, federal laws state that all bodily fluids are deemed biohazards and you should make sure that the cleanup service company you hire understands this and includes it in the cleanup. These things appear as blood or tissue splattered on a crime scene. You must be able to hire a company that is equipped with special knowledge to safely handle biohazard materials. The company must have the knowledge what to search for in any give biohazard crime scene. For instance, the company should be able to tell clues such that if there is a bloodstain the size of a thumbnail on a carpet, you can bet that there is about a huge bloodstain underneath. Federal and State laws have their own laws in terms of transport and disposal of biohazard waste. Make sure that the company you hire has all the permits necessary.

It will also be a huge plus if you could hire people who not only has the special trainings but also who have the nature to be sympathetic. If you are close to the victim and have the cleaning done at the behest of the victim’s relatives, it would matter that the cleaners tread the site with some level of respect. It is a common site that family members and loved ones are often there at scene. In general, when looking for a suitable crime scene cleaners, you would take into considerations the kind of situation that the crimes scene presents and the demands that it require. Crime scene cleaning companies handle a wide variety of crime scenes and prices may vary from one to the other crime scene and one to the other company.

Each type of scene requires its own particular demands not only to make the crime scene look clean and neat on the surface but to make it germ free, and clean inside and to make it free from all deadly and infectious substances. The cleanup cost for biohazards may vary depending on degree of the bio hazard(s) on the scene. There may even be a category that changes the cleanup pricing which usually involves decomposing bodies and carcasses. Likewise, a cleanup of chemical hazards vary, depending on the amount of chemical hazards as well as the grades i.e. how hazardous the substance is in terms of human contact. Prices are also determined by the number of hours and personnel that it would to get the crime scene cleaned. In addition, the "gross factor" from crime scene involving death and gore needs to be taken under consideration regarding the chemicals that will be used as opposed to those crimes' that do not have gore involved.

Restoring Buildings After Emergencies

By Greg Olear

Apartment buildings, whether cooperatives or condos, are inherently fragile. When that many units share the same plot of land, and the same walls, the same floors, the same elevators and stairways, standpipes and boilers, lobbies and roofs, disasters—whether broken water pipes or the tragic in the case of decomposing bodies, fatal fires or building explosions—have the potential to spread quickly. Thus, when something nasty befalls a building, the first order of business is to contain the problem.

Once the situation has been contained, however, then the hard part begins: the cleanup. How do buildings get back on their proverbial feet after a major maintenance meltdown? What should a board or property manager know about dealing with disasters? And is there a way to prevent bad things from happening in the first place? Let's take a look.

Water, Water Everywhere
When contemplating disasters, the first example that comes to mind is usually fire. Fire, after all, can spread quickly and devastate an entire city, and do so in spectacular fashion. Much of Lower Manhattan was burned to the ground by the British in the War of 1812, and, while our ability to prevent and combat fires is far superior to what it was two hundred years ago, fire remains a big fear.

But it's not fire, but the element that puts it out, that causes most of the damage to New York residential buildings.

"Look around, and see how many buildings are burning right now," says Ron Alford, the founder and president of Disaster Masters Inc. in Queens. "None. On the other hand, water damage is going on right now, as we're talking," or as you're reading this.

Water damage can happen in many ways. In the winter, Alford says, if it's nine degrees outside for a few days, and the right combination of doors are left open accidentally, the standpipe—the central conduit for water in the building—can break. In the summer, condensation from air conditioning units can wreak havoc on hardwood floors, especially in apartments that have been vacated for the season.

Leaky pipes can drip into the apartment downstairs, and then the apartment two floors down, and then the one floor below that. And busted standpipes can do much more extensive damage. Remedying this kind of problem can escalate to the total replacement cost of the entire building, says Alford, if the damage is extensive.

Floods of this nature are seldom the result of negligence, Alford says.

"These are not caused by shoddy maintenance," he explains. "Because of the local laws, the buildings are all well-maintained. The things we do tend to be sudden and insured."

Insurance can be its own headache. Insurance companies can send the wrong personnel to handle a problem, or, worse, deny a claim. Getting money from insurance companies can be such a tricky process, in fact, that Alford has a side business that deals solely with getting claims paid by insurance companies, and has authored a book on the subject.

Handling the Unexpected
Property managers have to be adept at dealing with acts of God or natural disasters that you have no preparation or training for. One such scenario involved Donna Ross, the director of management at Andrea Bunis Management Inc. in Manhattan. Ross, a 30-year veteran in property management, has been with Andrea Bunis for the past 15 years. Back in August 1989, she was called to the scene of a Con Edison steam pipe explosion reminiscent of the one that recently shut down blocks around Lexington Avenue and Grand Central Terminal this summer.

The 1989 pipe explosion killed three people, injured 24, and caused evacuation of about 200 residents of the 185-unit cooperative at 32 Gramercy Park South. What the managers and residents did not know then was that the pipe contained asbestos and it would be months before the cleanup and restoration brought things back to normal.

"Saturday night was the explosion and Sunday morning I and other agents were at the site to see what we could do to help the residents of the building," says Ross. "Since we did not know at that time that the building was contaminated with asbestos, we were helping people clean up sweeping the asbestos in the air and our lungs.

"Days after the cleanup started, it was determined that there was asbestos found throughout the building and the DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] evacuated the building. Residents were given very little time to take some belongings and leave. Police were stationed on each of the floors to guard the apartments until the decontamination started. Residents were put up in nearby hotels at first and as time went on, it was determined that this was not going to take a few days. They were then moved to apartment efficiencies or given money to go elsewhere. Management set up trailers near the building so that residents would have access to management to help in their daily needs," Ross explains. Some people were allowed back inside to retrieve belongings or medication, she says, and others to pack things for a much-needed vacation away from the city. "We had no idea that it would be eight months later before all was said and done."

Ross was enlisted to serve as a liaison and coordinate management tasks between different city agencies, including Con Ed, the NYPD, the FDNY, asbestos removal specialists and various contractors. The building had to be decontaminated and completely cleaned, blown-out windows had to be replaced, the water tower had to be cleaned and repaired, and day-to-day questions and concerns taken care of, she adds.

"Residents still needed information about what was happening with their homes. I was answering their questions as to reimbursement for their food, and housing and clothes. The explosion happened in August, and a few seasons had passed, so residents needed different seasons of clothes. Remember most of them left that day in August with what was on their back. Basically, the building was completely cleaned inside and out before residents would be allowed to move back in."

Remains of the Day
Then there is the other potential disaster—the decomposing body. Sometimes there is violence involved—suicides or homicides, for example—but usually, the decomposing body problem occurs when a single, typically elderly person dies, and no one realizes it until the smell trails into the hallway.

"Let's say an elderly person dies of natural causes," says Ron Gospodarski, president of Bio-Recovery Corp. in Long Island City. "New York being transient as it is, usually the kids are elsewhere. It goes undetected for days or weeks until someone smells it and calls 911."

The police then come and seal off the area while they conduct an investigation. "Nobody can go in there," Gospodarski says. "And you have this nasty odor coming out."

The more the body decomposes, the worse the odor gets. "The odor will infiltrate everywhere," says Ron Vogel, president of Emergi-Clean Inc. in Linden, New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the police yield to the public administrator, who is in charge of locating and contacting the next of kin. Once it is determined that the death was not a homicide, the body is taken away. But some of the remains remain—and those remains reek. Until the police or the public administrator grants access to the apartment, there isn't much the board can do about it.

"Sometimes we'll go with" the public administrator, says Gospodarski. "But most of the time, they don't let us in."

This can be extremely unpleasant—and dangerous.

In one case, Gospodarski says the liquefied remains had eaten through the hardwood floors—it was a brownstone, so there was no concrete between the floors.

"Bodily fluids were dripping into the apartment below, where there was a newborn baby," he recalls.

This is, needless to say, not the most healthful situation.

Cleaning up human remains is not generally something that's covered at board meetings. Many property managers are probably at a loss as to what exactly the next step should be. There is no subheading for this kind of thing in the Yellow Pages—and that's not the most effective disaster preparedness anyway.

"The worst thing you can do is use a phone directory for a disaster," Alford says.

Many boards or property managers will ask the super to handle the mess. Not only does this put the health of the super at risk, and subject the building to major liability, it's also illegal.

"Supers are often forced to do it, which is illegal," says Gospodarski. "Who can clean it up legally? Fifty percent are cleaned up by managers or supers. Is that legal? No."

To legally handle human remains, one requires yearly shots for hepatitis B, as well as special training and certification from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Environmental Protection or Conservation, which is prohibitively expensive for most buildings.

"The cost would be unbelievable," says Vogel. The total cost to meet all of the requirements would be in the thousands of dollars for each individual certified, he says.

Then there's the matter of disposal. Let's say someone dies in bed, and bodily wastes infiltrate the mattress.

"Where do they dispose of it? You can't put it in the sanitation system," says Gospodarski. "It has to go by red bag. You have to be licensed to pick it up."

This doesn't stop bloody mattresses from finding their way into the regular trash, of course. This is New York, after all. But that is illegal, too.

Finally, there's the bottom line. Who pays for the mess? The estate of the deceased? The co-op, because the liquefied remains oozed between floors? The deceased's insurance company? The co-op's insurance company? Often, the co-op ends up with the tab - and a cleanup of this sort can cost anywhere from $450-$2,000.

"They say, 'Let's pay to get it fixed first,' and then they'll worry," Vogel says.

"Often, the management company will pay, and then get the money from the board," says Gospodarski.

What should a building do to prepare for such a catastrophe?

"You need to know who to call," says Alford. Managers and boards should have an emergency or restoration company in mind before a disaster strikes.

Some companies even offer "pre-disaster audits," where teams would inspect the premises for potential problems.

What It Teaches You
Surviving an emergency takes patience and understanding, Ross says.

"As a property manager, the job itself teaches you to juggle many things at once so that you are able to accomplish your goal—add a lot of patience and consideration to the mix and you can survive a crisis like this one or this job in general."

Residents need to trust the board, management and the hired professionals to maintain the public safety and health and well-being of the residents they're entrusted to care for.

"In order to be an effective property manager you need to wear many hats," says Ross. "You need to be able to be calm under pressure, caring and considerate, understanding that you're dealing with people's homes, a very sensitive subject. In an agent's day, very few people are calling to thank you for something you may have done, most calls are complaints. You need to take the call, solve the problem and move on," she says, adding that you need to also manage the stress that comes with the job.

Greg Olear is a freelance writer, editor, web designer, astrologer and stay-at-home dad living in Highland, New York.

The Corpse Is Gone; Enter Quietly the Cleaners

By FRANCIS X. CLINES
The New York Times

Once cadavers and evidence are removed from a typical crime scene, the police and paramedics drive away, leaving a traumatized family and an opportunity for a delicate enterprise now quietly evident across the land.

''The family just went through this horrific event and now they have to clean up, too?'' Becky Della-Rodolfa said, describing the rationale of her private Philadelphia business that specializes in the cleaning and repairing of the aftermath of homicides, suicides and other mayhem.

More than 200 such companies have been started in urban areas in recent years, according to a Washington lobbying association that is seeking government standards for an industry that practitioners find fraught with public health and professional concerns.

''We need standard ethics and procedural rules for a business that is growing by leaps and bounds,'' said Ron Gospodarski, president of the lobbying group, the American Bio-Recovery Association. The three-year-old association serves an industry that is thriving on the fact that government agencies generally make no provision to clean up the scenes of traumatic deaths.

An exception is Phoenix, where the municipal government has contracted with Dale Cillian, an industry pioneer with 15 years' experience, to clean up after biohazardous crimes and accidents, from homicides to car crashes.

''We should be under the same standards as the funeral industry,'' Mr. Cillian said, warning that fly-by-night operators have been appearing more frequently.

His business, Biopro LLC, has cleaned more than 5,000 crime and accident scenes using high-tech equipment and medical-waste-disposal techniques that the national association wants established as a government requirement.

''I was a paramedic for 18 years,'' Mr. Gospodarski said. He runs a cleanup company in the New York City area that routinely deals with blood-borne and airborne contaminants at scenes of violent deaths or deaths that are not immediately discovered. His workers, wearing protective gear, move in after the police and rip out floorboards and wall panels in tracking the flow of wastes.

''A lot of us got into it from public safety jobs because we got tired of seeing families shocked in the midst of tragedy as they watched cops and medics just strip off their gloves and walk away,'' Mr. Gospodarski said.

He noted the premium on speed in his business, citing one overnight cleanup at a New York restaurant where four people were shot to death. ''An eight-hour job, very messy, blood trails on the walls through the place, and the manager was very, very grateful we could be there within 30 minutes,'' Mr. Gospodarski said of his company, the Bio-Recovery Corporation.

Ms. Della-Rodolfa started her business, Trauma Scene Restoration, when she heard a friend who was a police officer talk of the frustration of leaving shocked families behind after a death. ''I don't think society knows this type of industry exists,'' she said, describing the largely unadvertised manner of the business in which a funeral director, medical examiner or sympathetic ambulance driver might inform a family of a local specialist.

''Restoring the scene and peace of mind'' is the motto of Ms. Della-Rodolfa's small company, as printed in an advertisement in the local yellow pages under House Cleaning. It is embossed as well on packets of golf tees that she distributes at police and medical examiners' conventions. ''They love golf,'' she said.

''We can't call up troubled families -- that would be unethical ambulance chasing,'' Ms. Della-Rodolfa declared as she dealt with a new job. It involved cleaning the home of an elderly recluse who had died alone in a house knee-deep in trash, with 12 cats left unattended for six weeks.

This job will cost $30 an hour and require some messy labor, she estimated. Other jobs at scenes of violence or extended decomposition, with potentially infectious blood and other waste, cost $100 an hour.

She has a staff of three full-time workers with others on call. They use an array of disposable clothing and respirators, and subcontract with a medical-waste company to burn all corpse-related residue.

This precaution is something that Mr. Gospodarski would like to see made a government regulation.

He described a job in the Bronx involving a man whose body was found two weeks after death and who turned out to have had hepatitis and been H.I.V.-positive. Effluvia had seeped into the apartment below, creating a potentially nightmarish situation that local health officials knew nothing about, Mr. Gospodarski said.

Beyond violent deaths, decomposition cases involving people who died alone and neglected make up half of his business, Mr. Gospodarski said.

In Phoenix, Mr. Cillian, who is a firefighter, obtained a general contractor's license to qualify for the dismantling and repairing that can be required at a noisome crime scene. Jobs average about $350, but chaotic crime scenes can cost thousands, he said, noting that he does pro bono work in cases of hardship.

''There's a lot of shootings out here, and the scene at one of them looked like a war zone,'' he said of a recent shootout between a police officer and his killer. ''A hundred rounds were fired; the place was pocked like a movie set.'' When he heard that the police officer's grieving family members wanted to see the scene, Mr. Cillian said, he had all the bullet-torn doors and blood-stained surfaces removed or covered to spare them extra trauma.

Some states, including New York, offer crime victims up to $2,500 for their expenses, and lately trauma cleanup costs have been accepted, Mr. Gospodarski said. But home insurance claims are more open to dispute, as in instances of suicide, Ms. Della-Rodolfa said.

''That can mean the second trauma,'' she said. ''This is when a family must relive the first one all over again by cleaning it up.''

About Crime Scene Cleaners

by Dayna Noffke

Introduction
No one is prepared to deal with the aftermath of a suicide, homicide or violent crime. One aspect that very few people consider, however, is how the home will be returned to its present state. Not only is it emotionally distressing to have to clean up human remains, blood or other bodily fluids, it can be dangerous as well. Crime-scene cleaners are professionals who are trained in dealing with the legal, emotional and practical aspects of crime-scene cleanup.

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Function
Until very recent times, when a violent or messy death occurred in the home, it was the family members who were left to deal with cleaning up the aftermath. This is not only extremely emotionally difficult for family members or friends to do, but exposure to the biohazardous waste that is often present can present health hazards. Crime-scene cleaners come in after a body has been removed and work to return the property to its original condition. This can involve removing or replacing carpet or parts of walls or other surfaces, as well as heavy cleaning and decontamination of whole rooms. Crime-scene cleaners are also trained in how to properly dispose of biohazards.

Features
People who choose crime-scene cleanup as a career must possess a very unique set of characteristics to be successful in the field. Obviously, a strong stomach is an absolute necessity. Cleaners deal with gore, blood, body parts and unpleasant smells as a part of their everyday routine. At the same time, they must be discreet and sensitive to a grieving family's needs.

Benefits
Crime-scene cleaning presents growing business opportunities for people who are interested in the field. In large cities, business owners may make six-figure incomes. However, many people who work in this field cite helping the survivors of violent crime as one of the best parts of the job. Ron Gospodarski, president of Bio-Recovery Corporation in New York City, states, ""I like to make a difference. We spare (the survivors) the hurt and pain of cleaning up those atrocities."
Considerations

Because crime does not occur at conveniently scheduled times, crime-scene cleaners have to be on call for emergencies, and work days can be long for large jobs. Although there is no specific educational requirement for obtaining employment as a crime-scene cleaner, it is helpful to have work experience in similar fields. Many people come to this career from jobs that have prepared them for some of the more stomach-churning aspects of the job, such as work as paramedics, nurses or morticians. Beginning a crime-scene cleaning business can be an expensive venture because of all the training and licensing that is required to obtain permits for properly disposing of biohazardous waste.

Misconceptions
Despite what many people think, crime-scene cleaners are not involved in any way in the legal or investigative process. They are allowed access only after investigators have collected evidence and processed the crime scene. Cleaners also do not deal with dead bodies, which are typically picked up by the local coroner or medical examiner's office. They may, however, have to clean up the products of decomposition where a body remained undiscovered for an extended period of time.

Murder clean-up fund announced

Families of people murdered in their homes will no longer have to pay for clean-up costs, the Scottish Government has said.

The families of murder victims killed in the home will no longer have to meet the cost of cleaning up afterwards, the Scottish Government has announced.

Police will now pay for decontamination and cleaning if the cost is not met by landlords or insurers. The Scottish Government set up a working group to look at the issue last year.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said on Sunday that the move would spare families extra stress after the death of a loved one.

He said: "The murder of a family member would be traumatic and distressing for anybody, but for the family to then have to meet the costs of cleaning the home is simply wrong.

"That's why we set up a working group to look at the issue. I am pleased that they've now come up with a solution, and that the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland have agreed to meet the cost in the absence of other provision.

"This will ensure families no longer have the added stress and cost of cleaning the home."

Mr MacAskill said it is important that organisations are sensitive to the needs of families of homicide victims, and said that the Scottish Government has been working with the Association of British Insurers and the Chartered Institute of Housing to ensure that appropriate guidance is provided to insurers and housing providers.

Strathclyde Police's Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan - secretary of the Acpos crime business area - said: "Ultimately, a small number of cases will fall outwith the responsibility of the various landlords or insurance companies.

"In these exceptional cases, Acpos will meet the costs in respect of decontamination and cleaning services of dwelling houses."

Margaret Smith, Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh West, ran a campaign last year for a murder clean up fund.

She said: "I am delighted that, following my campaign, the Scottish Government has finally confirmed that families will no longer have to meet the cost of clearing up the aftermath if a murder takes place in their home.

"It seemed crazy to add to this burden by forcing families to pay for the cost of cleaning up the murder scene if it occurs in their own home.

"A murder clear-up fund will be relatively inexpensive and a real help to families who are still coming to terms with the grief of losing a loved one in such traumatic circumstances."

The economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States

Medical Research News

The economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States reached $23.4 billion in 2005, including the burden of addiction, premature death, drug treatment and many other aspects of the drug, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The RAND study is the first effort to construct a comprehensive national assessment of the costs of the methamphetamine problem in the United States.

"Our findings show that the economic burden of methamphetamine abuse is substantial," said Nancy Nicosia, the study's lead author and an economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.

Although methamphetamine causes some unique harms, the study finds that many of the primary issues that account for the burden of methamphetamine use are similar to those identified in economic assessments of other illicit drugs.

Given the uncertainty in estimating the costs of methamphetamine use, researchers created a range of estimates. The lowest estimate for the cost of methamphetamine use in 2005 was $16.2 billion, while $48.3 billion was the highest estimate. Researchers' best estimate of the overall economic burden of methamphetamine use is $23.4 billion

The study was sponsored by the Meth Project Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to reducing first-time methamphetamine use. Additional support was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"We commissioned this study to provide decision makers with the best possible estimate of the financial burden that methamphetamine use places on the American public," said Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project. "This is the first comprehensive economic impact study ever to be conducted with the rigor of a traditional cost of illness study, applied specifically to methamphetamine. It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work."

The RAND analysis found that nearly two-thirds of the economic costs caused by methamphetamine use resulted from the burden of addiction and an estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. The burden of addiction was measured by quantifying the impact of the lower quality of life experienced by those addicted to the drug.

Crime and criminal justice expenses account for the second-largest category of economic costs, according to researchers. These costs include the burden of arresting and incarcerating drug offenders, as well as the costs of additional non-drug crimes caused by methamphetamine use, such as thefts committed to support a drug habit.

Other costs that significantly contribute to the RAND estimate include lost productivity, the expense of removing children from their parents' homes because of methamphetamine use and spending for drug treatment.

One new category of cost captured in the analysis is the expense associated with the production of methamphetamine. Producing methamphetamine requires toxic chemicals that can result in fire, explosions and other events. The resulting costs include the injuries suffered by emergency personnel and other victims, and efforts to clean up the hazardous waste generated by the production process.

Researchers caution that their estimates are in some cases based on an emerging understanding of methamphetamine's role in these harms and should be further refined as understanding of these issues matures. The RAND report also identifies costs that cannot yet be adequately quantified.

"Estimates of the economic costs of illicit drug use can highlight the consequences of illegal drug use on our society and focus attention on the primary drivers of those costs," Nicosia said. "But more work is needed to identify areas where interventions to reduce these harms could prove most effective."

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive substance that can be taken orally, injected, snorted or smoked. While national surveys suggest that methamphetamine use is far from common, there is evidence that the harms of methamphetamine may be concentrated in certain regions. One indicator of the problem locally is treatment admissions. Methamphetamine was the primary drug of abuse in 59 percent of the treatment admissions in Hawaii in 2004 and accounted for 38 percent of such admissions in Arizona in 2004.

Sunshine Cleaning (Release Date March 13th 2009)

Sunshine Cleaning is a comedy-drama starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.

Sunshine Cleaning follows an average family that finds the path to its dreams in an unlikely setting. A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around - once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other…specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another—no matter what—while creating a brighter future for the entire Lorkowski family.

Here’s the Sunshine Cleaning Trailer, hit HQ in the menu bottom right for improved quality. The movie is due out March 13, 2009.

Pasco County Man Arrested for Illegally Dumping Biomedical Waste

PORT RICHEY–
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) law enforcement officers today arrested Andrew Tierney Froelich, age 54, owner of ServPro in Port Richey, for illegally dumping biomedical waste.During a six week investigation, in partnership with the Pasco County Health Department and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, DEP law enforcement officers observed Froelich illegally disposing biomedical waste into a commercial dumpster.Froelich is charged with 3rd degree felony commercial dumping. Charges are pending for transportation of bio-medical waste without a permit and causing a public nuisance. If found guilty, Froelich could face up to five years in jail and a fine of $5,000. No court date has been set

Who Do You Call to Clean Up the Shooting Down the Street?

Question:
A reader sent us this email about a shooting that occurred around midnight in Brooklyn:
Just wanted to point out that there was a shooting last night at the bus depot at Broadway and Havemeyer in Williamsburg, -and that the investigation seems to be over, but the guy's hat, a big puddle of blood and teeth, many rubber gloves, gauze, a sterile water container, et cetera are still down there, for people to step in. I called the 90th Precinct but they said "maybe it's sanitation's job". Aren't these things usually cleaned up?"

Answer:
In New York City, if a crime or trauma scene happens outside on public property, the City of New York (by local law) is responsible to have these sites cleaned up. The reality is there is no city agency that will perform these services and the city has not contracted with an outside service to perform these cleanups.

If this happens on your property/sidewalk, yard etc. You can call Bio-Recovery Corporation at 718-729-2600 and we will clean this site up.

You can call 311 or if it's a hazard which blood or pathologial waste is call 911. File a complaint and get the complaint number.

Ten Big Concerns in the Bio-Recovery Industry

by Kent Berg

If you are in, or are contemplating entering, the bio-recovery industry, it’s important to remember this goal: the complete clean up of blood, tissue and other potentially infectious materials. Problem is, many people think that’s the only goal, and so all that is needed is a strong stomach and a mop. In fact, there are companies out there cleaning up scenes with that approach in mind. What we as technicians have to remember, however, is that in order to accomplish our task, there are a number of concerns we must address in order to do the job safely, effectively, and in compliance with the law. Ignoring any of these 10 concerns can cause employees to get sick (potentially with a lifetime of medical bills you will have to pay); lead to lawsuits from employees as well as customers; result in a bad reputation for poor performance; raise the ire of law enforcement agencies, and even lead to government fines.

Pathogenic Microbes These harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi can be present in spilled blood and body fluids as well as in the air. Splashes of blood or body fluids and inhalation of aerosolized blood or fungal spores from the gastrointestinal tract can cause illness. Some viruses, like Hepatitis, can even cause death. Most people are under the impression that these pathogens die when blood dries, but this is not the case. In fact, scientists have found live Hepatitis virus in blood that has been dried for over a month, and they believe it can actually live substantially longer. Protection against these invisible germs is paramount, and requires suits, gloves, face shields and respirators, regardless of how old the blood is. Not just any glove or suit will do, either. To assure that maximum protection is attained, seek out PPE that is specifically rated by the manufacturer or a testing organization like ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) for the job you are performing.

Psychological Trauma Just because someone has gutted a deer, worked in a nursing home or cleaned up after a nosebleed doesn’t mean they are psychologically prepared to clean a trauma scene. These scenes can be horrific: pieces of scalp hanging from the ceiling fan; brain matter splattered on the oil painting of the smiling family; bloody handprints sliding down the wall of a stabbing victim’s apartment; the crying and wailing of the family in the next room as you wipe away the remnants of their loved-one’s last moments. Turnover in this business is usually because of nightmares, inability to sleep, and depression. Staying mentally healthy is an important part of protecting yourself on the job.

Disinfectant Efficacy
Although there are more than 100 antimicrobial products that claim to kill germs, it is imperative to select the right one for the target pathogens you may encounter. Among the those rated to do the job, their true efficacy varies considerably and is subject to surface conditions, temperature, organic load, and even the material the contaminant is on. Disinfectant efficacy is also heavily influenced by the presence of biofilm. Biofilm is produced when bacteria colonize and collectively produce a coating that envelops the entire colony. This coating provides a protective layer under which the bacteria can thrive unaffected by many disinfectants.
Overlooked Contamination You just spent 50 hours cleaning up a bedroom where a father took his own life with a 12-guage shotgun. There was blood, tissue, brain matter and skull fragments covering nearly every square foot of the room and its contents. You were extremely cordial and sympathetic to the family. You used the right equipment and disinfectants. The room now looks great and the family is pleased. But if you have overlooked just one drop of blood, one piece of tissue or small skull fragment (perhaps a tooth behind the dresser), prepare to get a very angry phone call. You may as well not have done anything at all because, although you worked until you nearly dropped, that one overlooked piece of carnage has re-traumatized the family, and they are thinking of calling a lawyer.

Interaction With the Distressed Family Like funeral directors, we often have to interact with the immediate family of the deceased just a few hours after the event. These husbands, wives, parents and children are grieving and trying to cope with the emotional upheaval of an unexpected traumatic loss. Knowing what to say as well as what not to say is critical in establishing a rapport and conveying your sympathy, yet still obtaining the information necessary to do your job. Saying the wrong thing can at the very least get you off on the wrong foot, and possibly get you kicked off the property. Sensitivity and a caring attitude are essential in this business.

Recognizing Evidence
From time to time, technicians will discover evidence at a crime scene. Since we spend a great deal of time scouring the scene from top to bottom, moving furniture, opening drawers and so on, we come across things that may be important to investigators. The key is recognizing what might be related to the case. Obviously, guns, bloody knives and bullets should be reported, but it is with the more subtle things that you have to ask yourself, “Could this be important?” A roll of duct tape on the scene of a stabbing may have no significance, but what if you found one at the scene of an abduction? Knowing what the crime was can help you “tune-in” on items that may be crucial to an investigation.

Unreleased Scenes You get a phone call from an apartment complex manager who wants you to clean up a shooting scene in apartment 2-C. You rush over and the manager signs your contract. Hours later you pack up your truck, confident that you have cleaned and disinfected every square inch of the apartment. The next day you get a call from an irate police investigator who says the scene had not been released yet, and you have destroyed his crime scene. He is threatening to charge you with obstruction of justice! Make absolutely sure that crime scenes have been reported, investigated and released before doing the job.
Legal Issues As employers, we must adhere to the many OSHA regulations that apply to our trade. The most obvious is 29CFR1910.1030 the Bloodborne Pathogen Regulation, but there are many, many more, including the Respiratory Protection Regulations; Lockout-Tagout; Confined Space; Ladders; General Safety; and Personal Protective Equipment. These regulations were designed to protect our employees and violations can result in stiff penalties, lawsuits and damage to our credibility. In addition, we must employ contracts that provide protection to the property owner as well as the company and technicians. We must know who can sign our contracts, and we must have the appropriate insurance to protect us if anything goes wrong.

Migration of Liquids
Blood travels like water, but many people, including some technicians, tend to clean up only what they see (“If the red is gone, I’ve done my job.”). Unfortunately, blood runs under vinyl tile, under baseboards, down the seams of hardwood flooring, through OSB, and wicks up into drywall and down into concrete. Wiping blood off a surface is only the beginning of the remediation process. Most jobs are more complicated than they initially seem because most of the contamination is hidden. Just a few ounces of blood can penetrate a carpet, go through the pad onto the underlayment, find a seam and seep down the seam into the plywood subfloor. More than a few ounces can travel from an attic to a basement if the conditions are right. Knowing what to look for is the key to combating liquid migration.

Decomposition and Odors
Understanding the nature of human body decomposition and the liquids and odors produced is key to our business. Putricine and cadaverine are composed of a variety of chemicals, fats, bacteria and minerals that pose challenges for the bio-recovery technician. Understanding what chemicals to use, what home contents can be saved, and what the true hazards of the contamination are goes a long way in restoring the property quickly and economically.
As with any industry, there are always critical concerns that must be addressed in order to provide the best service possible. For the bio-recovery technician, failing to address any of these concerns can result in a very poor outcome, both for the family and your business. Proper training is of paramount importance, and certification from a nationally recognized organization will help assure that every scene is handled properly.

Kent Berg is the Director of the National Institute of Decontamination Specialists, an international crime and trauma scene cleanup training center certified by the American BioRecovery Association (ABRA). He is also a consultant and expert witness in the field of crime and trauma scene biorecovery. Kent can be reached at (864) 855-3400 or at www.NIDStraining.com

When the Police Call 911

by Andrew Yurchuck Posted: January 27, 2009

Police officers work in a hostile environment. Danger lurks with every car stop and around every corner. Every modern police department issues its officers bullet-resistant vests to help keep them safe. Departments are very good at being proactive with immediate dangers. Many times, though, they overlook the threats that can affect their officers’ lives over the long haul, such as bloodborne pathogens.

Just one workman’s compensation claim for a police officer can cost a department millions of dollars in claims. Most departments are self-insured, or are part of a joint insurance fund that pays medical and general liability losses. The medical costs can be catastrophic for small departments.According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, in the general population, one in 300 people are HIV positive; one in 20 have Hepatitis, one in five have herpes and one in three have some type of bloodborne disease. If the statistics aren’t scary enough, keep in mind that police officers work every day around populations with an increased risk of carrying bloodborne pathogens, such as intravenous drug users, prostitutes and habitual offenders that have been incarcerated in close quarters for the long term. To complicate matters further, many of the people these officers deal with don’t even know they are sick or infectious.
Several lawsuits have been filed by present and former prisoners that have been exposed to bloodborne pathogens due to lack of cleanliness or being forced to occupy or clean up a space that had been contaminated with known body fluids. OSHA mandates police officers receive annual bloodborne pathogens training. However, this training is often inadequate for them to properly decontaminate the eventualities they may encounter on the job. Herein lies the opportunity for the bio-recovery specialist.

Different companies will operate in different ways, depending on location, department size, budget and time constraints, and other factors. For example, we service 70 contracts to clean patrol cars and jail cells, operating with round-the-clock service to get the police department cars and cells back into service fast (95 percent of calls for service are after hours and on weekends).

Bio-recovery companies that decide to offer these services must respond as rapidly as possible. Jobs like this can’t wait until Monday morning (or even until the next morning, for that matter). The service is most valuable to small departments, those that may operate with fewer than four holding cells and 10 patrol cars. For these departments it’s critical to be up and operating as soon as possible because of limited resources; daytime, weekday cleanups are often provided by public works departments.

Properly equipped and trained bio-recovery firms may also find themselves presented with a related opportunity: providing ongoing maintenance service for patrol cars and cells. Holding cells can be deep cleaned using specialized equipment the municipalities don’t have access to or else do not know how to properly use. Cells can often be power washed, with the wastewater recovered for sanitary disposal. Pest control can also be a lucrative offering, especially when department heads see the problem firsthand. Firms performing patrol car and cell decontamination also have a built-in opportunity to reach new markets: the same departments and officers you are taking care of will turn into some of your greatest champions when it comes to restoration jobs in their communities. Put another way, patrol car and jail cell cleaning is an easy, powerful way to keep your company in front of your current customers and future referrals.

Paying for the Service
It would be great if all police departments included emergency service decontamination in their annual budgets, but that’s not always the case. In situations where funds may be otherwise unavailable, explore having the police department recover the cost of your services from the offender. For example, if the police pick up a drunk driver and he vomits in the patrol car on the way to the station (this happens more than you think) the department calls in your decontamination team and they go to work.

Have the billing office send the invoice to the department before the offender is released, and have them attach the invoice to the offenders arrest jacket for remuneration. Just like a fine, the offender doesn’t get their driver’s license back until the department gets reimbursed. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved. Hiring a contractor for cleaning out the cars and cells improves department morale, eliminates occupational exposure for the under-trained, under-equipped police officer and provides proper disposal and remediation outlet for medical waste and other contaminants being removed from department property. Costs for cleanups vary wildly depending on the severity; some companies use police decontaminations as loss leaders, but informal polls show companies typically charge between $150 and $700 a car.

The business of bio-recovery should not be entered into lightly. The same risks that you are protecting the police officers from are dangers that you will face on the job. Proper training and equipment is critical to staying safe on the job. The American Bio-Recovery Association, as well as various for-profit companies, can take your training in the right direction.

Norovirus Outbreak on Hawaiian Waters

By Ron Mizutani
Jan 27, 2009

A highly contagious virus sickened dozens of passengers during a recent cruise aboard the "Pride of America."
The United States Food and Drug Administration confirms Norwegian Cruise Lines reported a Norovirus outbreak on a cruise in Hawaiian Waters. Sources tell KHON more than 67 of the 1,837 passengers aboard the "Pride of America" between January 17th and the 24th were stricken by the virus.
"Norovirus is something that is always a problem in a confined environment where there are multiple different people coming together," said Dr. Alan Tice, infectious disease consultant. "Sometimes the diarrhea can be so bad that it is serious and occassionally people have to be hospitalized for it and it can be very miserable."
The Norovirus is a short-lived infection but the virus has shown up in stool samples taken eight weeks after an outbreak. State health officials could not comment on the case because it is a federal investigation but acknowledged it is assisting the F-D-A. They add all islands are on alert.
"And I think that's an error on the part of the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration -- these matters are serious they should be taken care of -- they should be addressed to the public in a timely fashion," said Carroll Cox of Envirowatch. "Things fall through he cracks because of bureaucracy."
The Pride of America is currently on another inter-island cruise. N-C-L did not return our calls.
"The procedures for Norovirus are pretty clear in terms of cleaning they have special cleaning agents in general that they use," said Tice. "They go around and general do an extraordinary job cleaning anywhere from door knobs, to carpets, to whatever that may be affected pools etc. where this virus can persist for a matter of often days."
In November 2007, about 400 out of 25-hundred passengers were stricken with Norovirus aboard the Pride Of Hawaii, the largest epidemic on a cruise ship of that size in '07. State health officials encourage anyone diagnosed with the virus to wash their hands after using the bathroom. Critics say that's not enough.
"This incident occurs and no transparency -- the public is not informed," said Cox. "If the state health department is involved -- than the state health department has a responsibility to inform the public."
In addition to the 67 passengers, 14 employees were also sickened by the virus.

Don't catch those cold germs in the air

Julie Johnsson
January 29, 2009

Touch tray table. Touch mouth or eyes. Repeat.Those simple actions are a great way to pick up cold and flu viruses onboard an airplane, particularly this time of year when respiratory infections run rampant, said Dr. Michael Smith, chief medical editor with WebMD.com.Airplanes teem with common germs and bacteria found anywhere large numbers of people crowd into small places.But contrary to popular belief, germs at 40,000 feet are most frequently transmitted by touch rather than through the heating and cooling systems that circulate air through the cabin.A fellow passenger with a respiratory virus "touches something with their contaminated hand, you come along behind them and touch it," Smith said. While cold and flu viruses are airborne, "unless someone is sneezing or coughing in your face, that's not how most people contract these infections."It follows that airplane surfaces most frequently touched by passengers—tray tables, armrests, lavatory interiors—are the areas where microbes are likeliest to thrive. Some germs survive for several hours or longer on surfaces.By following a few simple steps, passengers can reduce common health risks on airplane flights, Smith said.•Don't touch your mouth or your eyes. "The germ is just not going to jump up from the countertop into your nose," Smith said. "It's the person putting it there."•Use a paper towel to open a lavatory door after you've washed your hands. It's the best way to avoid the unsavory tidbits lingering on bathroom door handles used by scores of people.•Stay hydrated. Humidity in an airplane cabin is typically very low, from 10 percent to 20 percent, drying out nasal passages and increasing the risk of respiratory infection.•Don't be shy. If you're seated next to someone with a raging cold, ask to move to an empty seat, if there is one. "If you're near somebody coughing and sneezing, moving only a couple of rows away makes a difference," Smith said.
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

CRIME-SCENE CLEANUP HELP

By FRANKIE EDOZIEN

It took six years, but the City Council finally passed a bill that established guidelines for the cleanup of grisly crimes scenes.
City Councilman Mike Nelson was stunned some years ago when a shootout on a south Brooklyn street left blood and guts spattered on a sidewalk and the stairs of a constituent's home.
The owner simply hosed it down but the stain remained.
"There were no rules. It was biohazardous and I was surprised to find out it just could stay there forever," said Nelson (D-Brooklyn).
Once Mayor Bloomberg signs the bill, homeowners in that situation will be able to call 311 to get information on how to clean up their property or recommendations on which companies can do it.

New York City "Crime Scene Cleanup" Legislation

THE COUNCILBRIEFING PAPER AND REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DIVISIONCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY PETER F। VALLONE JR।, CHAIR

April 25, 2006

OVERSIGHT: NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT’S CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONINT. NO. 123:

By Council Members Nelson, Gentile and LiuTITLE:

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing for the cleaning and restoration of crime scenes, on both public and private property.

The Committee on Public Safety, chaired by Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr., met at 10:00 a.m. on April 25, 2006, to conduct a hearing on the New York City Police Department’s (“NYPD’s”) crime scene investigation (“CSI”). In addition, the Committee will solicit testimony regarding Int. No. 123, a local law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing for the cleaning and restoration of crime scenes, on both public and private property. The Committee expects testimony from the NYPD, as well as several companies that provide crime scene clean up services.I. NYPD CRIME SCENE UNIT PROCEDURES AND NEW INITIATIVESThe New York City Police Department’s Forensic Investigative Division encompasses the Crime Scene Unit (“CSU”), which is responsible for collecting and analyzing evidence obtained at crime scenes and providing expert court testimony. [1] CSU is dispatched for the following crimes: homicide, forcible rape, robbery or hijacking with injury caused by a firearm, aggravated assault with a dangerous instrument where the victim is likely to die, burglaries involving forced safes or circumvented alarms or any other crime for which CSU’s services are needed to assist in the investigation. [2]In September 2003, the Police Laboratory, in conjunction with Orchid Biosciences, Inc., launched the Biotracks program, a pilot project to solve burglaries committed in Queens using DNA evidence. CSU provided training to the Queens Evidence Collection Teams for the recognition, documentation, collection, and submission of potential DNA evidence from burglary crime scenes. The evidence was submitted to the Police Laboratory where it was categorized, evaluated for trace evidence, and subsequently forwarded to private labs for DNA analysis using funding from the National Institute of Justice (“NIJ”). [3] The DNA profiles that resulted from the analyses were forwarded to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (“OCME”), where they were technically reviewed and then uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System [4] (“CODIS”). The OCME and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services notified the Police Laboratory of all the “hits” received from CODIS, which had resulted from burglary evidence submitted. The Police Laboratory then notified various detective squads, who conducted follow-up investigations to find and arrest the suspects. The Police Laboratory also notified the Queens District Attorney’s Office, which followed up with prosecution. As of July 2005, the Biotracks project has managed 311 burglary cases involving 537 samples. [5] One of the early cases involving the Biotracks program was the burglary of Nick Haralampopoulos’s house in Queens in January 2004. [6] The burglar left a scarf at the scene, which the police sent to the lab for DNA testing. [7] The DNA in the discarded scarf matched a defendant with prior felony convictions and DNA found at four other burglaries. [8] The defendant, 26-year-old Robert Medina, subsequently pleaded guilty in all five cases. [9] The Biotracks project later expanded into all five boroughs. [10] In March 2006, Biotracks helped solve a burglary in the Bronx where four men kicked in an elderly woman’s front door and proceeded to threaten her with a gun and steal $6,000 in cash. [11] II. HIGH PROFILE CASES INVOLVING DNA EVIDENCEForensic evidence has proved crucial in several recent high profile cases, including the investigation into the murder of Imette St. Guillen, a graduate student at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. After the arrest of Darryl Littlejohn, a bouncer at The Falls bar in Manhattan where Ms. St. Guillen was last seen, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes remarked, “It’s almost impossible now for criminals to hide their presence at the scene of a crime. They always leave something behind. It could be as small as a spot on a sweater. It could be a piece of evidence smaller than the head of a pin. It’ll be something, whatever it is.” [12] The forensic evidence implicating Mr. Littlejohn includes a blood match, fingerprints and traces of fur from a rabbit and mink coat. [13]Another case where DNA evidence was featured prominently was the case of Hunter College student Romona Moore in 2003. Ms. Moore was kidnapped, tortured, sexually assaulted and murdered by two men, Troy Hendrix, 19, and Kayson Pearson, 21. A judge-ordered DNA test helped link the defendants to the crime scene. [14] A jury convicted both men of kidnapping, rape, torture and first-degree murder on March 23, 2006. [15]III. NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATION CONCERNING DNA EVIDENCENew York State is also considering ways to further utilize DNA evidence. A State Investigation Commission report, released on March 20, 2006, recommended collecting DNA evidence from anyone convicted of a crime. [16] The bill, [17] passed in the New York State Senate but stalled in the New York State Assembly, would require DNA to be collected from anyone of a felony or a misdemeanor. [18] Currently New York State collects DNA from fewer than half of those convicted of felonies in the state, [19] and is only one of seven states that do not catalogue DNA profiles for all convicted felons. [20]IV. BACKGROUND ON CRIME SCENE CLEAN-UPA. Basic ProceduresThough every crime scene is unique, basic procedures are followed for the clean-up of any scene. [21] First, the immediate surrounding area is contained. Simple biohazard tape can be used to seal off a crime scene if it is indoors, and tarps are typically used to shield the viewing of a crime scene clean-up occurring outdoors. [22] A topical barrier, such as hospital-grade germicides, is then applied, generally by spraying. [23] This procedure prevents airborne dispersion of pathogens, and in crime scenes that have remained untouched for a period of time, serves to liquefy dried blood. [24] Anything that cannot be absorbed by a sponge is frequently packaged and removed after the germicide application. [25] Commonly clothing, shoes and other personal belongings are taken away, but furniture, mattresses, carpeting, flooring and entire sections of walls are sometimes removed as well. [26]After the initial removal, the exhaustive clean-up begins, using sponges, towels and mops, which may be supplemented by vacuums, shovels or even toothbrushes. [27] All supplies are only used once and then discarded; germicides are thoroughly applied during clean-up as well. [28] A last layer of antimicrobial agents is sprayed before a final wipedown of the scene. [29] Cleaning supplies and all materials removed from the scene is destroyed in a medical waste incinerator.B. Roles of Private Firms and City AgenciesThe task of cleaning up crime scenes often falls on grieving families who may lack the emotional and technical wherewithal to handle the job, but increasingly the job of crime scene clean-up in apartments or other private property is done by companies specializing in biohazardous waste. [30] As crime scene clean up is a niche industry, there are only a handful of firms serving New York City that focus on such matters. When crime scenes are in public housing, the New York City Housing Authority becomes involved, employing its own trained workers or hiring private contractors to clean up the remnants of a tragedy. [31]Clean-up responsibilities are more vague when a crime occurs on a public street. The New York City Police Department bears no responsibility for cleaning up a crime scene, and if the scene is on the street, the clean-up responsibility falls on the New York City Department of Sanitation or other appropriate agencies. [32] Even the role of the Department of Sanitation is limited, since it does not handle the removal of blood or human remains. [33] An engine truck from the New York City Fire Department frequently washes down the area with water to clear the remaining debris, although this does not always happen. [34] The few biohazard clean-up companies rarely work on asphalt or concrete. [35]C. Cost of Crime Scene Clean-UpThe New York State Crime Victims Board reimburses up to $2,500 towards the cost of crime scene clean-up, [36] but depending on the circumstances of the crime, the total clean-up cost may exceed that amount. Services at some biohazard clean-up firms start at $600 for cases of minimal decomposition, and the cost can escalate into the thousands for more extensive jobs. [37] The latest clean-up procedures are costly, such as the service of superheating an entire apartment to eradicate microbes. [38] This procedure eliminates the need to dispose of every personal item, and the minimum cost for this process is $3,000. [39]V. INTRODUCTION 123Introduction 123 makes the city responsible for cleaning a crime scene that “occurs on or within any portion of publicly owned property.” [40] If the crime scene occurs on private property, the NYPD will be required to provide the property owner with “a list of all known companies specializing in the cleanup of bio-hazardous materials,” or to clean the property if the owner cannot pay for cleaning services. [41] Bio-recovery technicians are cross-trained in a multitude of biohazard clean-up techniques, and are equipped to professionally clean crime scenes that property owners and anguished relatives cannot due to physical constraints and emotional trauma.Int. No. 123By Council Members Nelson, Gentile and LiuA Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing for the cleaning and restoration of crime scenes, on both public and private property. Be it enacted by the Council as follows:Section 1. Declaration of Legislative Findings and Intent. The task of cleaning the city’s gruesome and contaminated crime scenes often falls on citizens who are traumatized by the events that produced such scenes. Not only are these citizens emotionally and often times physically unprepared to deal with this job, they also lack the appropriate knowledge and/or supplies to safely discard hazardous materials found on site or the ability to effectively decontaminate the premises. It is apparent that serious health and safety issues arise when citizens, and not city agencies and/or private crime scene clean up companies, perform this undertaking. Professionals who specialize in hazardous waste cleanup should bear this responsibility, so as to ensure the safe restoration of crime scenes, and to relieve property owners of the psychological and physical burden associated with the obligation. §2. Chapter 1 of title 14 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to add a new section 14-152, to read as follows:§14-152. Crime Scene Clean Upa. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the term “crime scene” means a) a) the site at which an illegal act took place, and b) b) a site which contains any of the following types of evidence: (i) (i) impressions such as fingerprints, tool marks, footwear, fabric impressions, tire marks and bite marks;(ii) forensic biology including either blood, semen, body fluids, hair, nail scrapings or blood stain patterns; (iii) trace evidence including gun shot residues, arson accelerant, paint, glass and fibers; or(iv) firearms, including weapons, gun powder patterns, casings, projectiles, fragments, pellets, wadding or cartridges. b. Public Property. If a crime scene occurs on or within any portion of publicly owned property, the city shall clean the affected area. Such cleaning shall involve any or all of the following procedures: (i) (i) the immediate containment of the affected area(s), involving either biohazard tape when indoors, or the usage of tarps when outdoors;(ii) (ii) the application of hospital-grade germicides to the affected area(s) throughout the cleanup;(iii) (iii) the initial removal of all materials that cannot be cleaned, including, but not limited to, clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, mattresses, carpeting, and flooring; (iv) (iv) the detailed cleaning of the affected area(s), by means of a variety of tools and appliances, to be used only once before being discarded; (v) (v) the application of anti-microbial agents, sprayed on the affected area(s); and (vi) (vi) a final wipe-down of the premises. c. Private Property. If a crime scene occurs on or within any portion of privately owned property, the police department shall: (i) provide the owner of such property a list of all known companies specializing in the cleanup of bio-hazardous materials so as to enable the owner to employ such services; or(ii) (ii) Clean the property, as described in subdivision b, in the event that the owner can not afford to pay for such services, or chooses not to seek out such services. §3. This local law shall take effect immediately.TBInt 770/2005