While working with the police department, I often experience death, both natural and self-inflicted.  Just the other night a middle aged man in my jurisdiction committed suicide.  While working the scene and gathering evidence, the distraught wife asked a fellow officer if he knew of anyone to clean up her husband’s remains.  Not wanting to seem insensitive, but trying to abide by our departments policies regarding business referrals, he politely told her that the coroner or funeral director could assist her in finding a competent cleanup company.

Obviously sad, upset, confused and in shock, the wife still had the presence of mind to realize that she and her family could not clean up the remains of a loved one.  She was looking for assistance and guidance, yet unfortunately was put off by political correctness.

As professionals in our industry, we need to make it a priority to ensure innocent victims have access to the information they need, when they need it.  Simply knowing that a trauma scene cleanup company was available and would respond may have saved the deceased wife from some of the undue pain and suffering that was thrust upon her.

Let us all make it a point to meet with chiefs of police and community leaders to impress on them the importance of the work we do.  Our business is as important to those who need our services as it is to our families supported by its revenue.  If those who try to prevent our public servants and first responders from providing our contact information to trauma victims better understood our mission, maybe fewer questions would go unanswered.

Please take time to visit this blog entry posted at NakedGator.com.  It’s written by another police officer who responded to a suicide scene.

http://www.nakedgator.com/suicide-its-not-all-about-you/

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