Guide
Who cleans up after a crime scene in Oklahoma
Short answer: not the police and not the medical examiner. The property owner arranges it.
The short answer
Police collect evidence and secure the scene. The state medical examiner's office takes the person who died into its care when the death is one it investigates. Neither cleans the home.
Once the scene is released, cleaning is the responsibility of whoever controls the property: the owner, a tenant, a landlord or a business. Most hire a private biohazard or crime scene cleanup company.
In Oklahoma, the cost may be helped by insurance or, after a reported crime, by the Crime Victims Compensation program.
Who does what
Police
Investigate, collect evidence, release the scene.
Medical examiner
Investigates the death and releases the person to a funeral home.
Cleanup company
Cleans, disinfects and removes the waste.
Owner or tenant
Hires the company and approves the work.
Questions
Can a family member clean it?
Legally, the owner can clean their own home. Many choose not to, both for safety and so they do not have to see the room as it is.
More guides
- Who pays for the cleanupInsurance, Oklahoma victim compensation, landlords and estates.
- After a death at home in TulsaPolice, the medical examiner, the funeral home and the room itself.
- What affects the cost of cleanupThe factors a company looks at before it gives you a price.
- For landlords and property managersA death or biohazard in a rental unit, step by step.
- How the referral worksWhat happens when you call this number.
- Questions and answersShort answers to what people ask most.
Whenever you are ready
A calm conversation, then your decision
Some people call the same evening. Others wait until family has arrived or the service is over. Until then, keep the door to the affected room shut and keep children and pets out.
Speak with a cleanup company
The call goes to an independent company that works in your ZIP code. Describe what happened in your own words, ask how they would handle it and how they set the price, then decide.
Call (918) 233-9295Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and privacy policy.