One of the most alarming and frightening things a person can encounter is to discover a crime scene. Depending on whether or not the crime recently occurred the situation can also be incredibly dangerous. While it is natural to feel shock and panic, your response to discovering the crime scene can make a crucial difference in its outcome. Should you ever find yourself in such a position there are several things to remember. Here are three immediate steps to take upon discovering the scene of a crime.
1. Get To Safety! If you enter a home, apartment, or business to discover evidence of a crime, especially a violent crime, you should exit immediately. Drive to a nearby store or go to a neighbor’s home where you are safe in case the perpetrator is still nearby. If there are other people with you make sure that they do the same. Foolhardy attempts to catch the crook will only place more people in jeopardy. Plus, moving around a crime scene will only contaminate or even eliminate forensic evidence.
2. Notify the Authorities. The sooner someone contacts the police the quicker police officers and EMS will be able to respond. First Responders are trained to handle these situations and are better prepared to handle anything which might occur. You should never enter the scene of a crime in advance of the police. Criminals are potentially armed and dangerous and should you be armed when the police arrive, they might mistake you for the intruder. Also if anyone has been injured or killed then dangerous biohazards are present at the scene.
3. Write Down Everything You Remember. As quickly as you and without the input of others, write down everything you can recall about the crime scene. Don’t struggle to remember details. Record everything you remember about the scene, both as you approached it and as you found it. Your initial impressions can be valuable to forensic investigators. If there were more than one person present at the time the scene was discovered, each person should write their account independently. Group discussions frequently “invent” details rather than corroborate them.
Once police investigators finish they will release the scene. The injured will be transported for medical care and the deceased removed by the coroner’s office. At this point it will be the responsibility of the property owner or family to then restore the crime scene. Fingerprint dust cleanup can be difficult. The presence of blood or body fluids or tissues requires biohazard removal. At this point your best bet is to contact a professional crime scene cleanup company. Most insurance policies cover the expense of crime scene clean up. Contact Biohazard Cleaning Services Tennessee for more help.
