Bio-One of Savannah decontamination and biohazard cleaning services

Crime at Christmas - Call a Cleanup Service Now!

The holiday season is usually a mixed bag for most of us. On the one hand, there is the exciting prospect of spending time with friends and family, buying gifts, and maybe even taking a vacation. But on occasions, holidays may also be a time of stress, loneliness, and depression.

For some reason, the holiday season also sees higher rates of crime – ranging from shoplifting to petty theft, robbery, and even violent crimes like assault and battery. In particular, if drugs, alcohol, or firearms are involved, things can turn south really fast, leading to a messy crime scene at Christmas.

Why do crime rates spike during Christmas, when it is a time meant for festivities, for happiness, Jesus Christ, family, giving, and gaiety? Why should you call in the experts to clean up a crime scene on your property as soon as possible? These are some of the questions we will address here. But first, a little about us:

Bio-One Savannah is a leading provider of decontamination and biohazard cleaning/crime-scene cleanup services in multiple counties surrounding Savannah along the Atlantic Coast of Georgia. You can find the complete list of areas we serve on this page.  

If you end up with a crime scene on your property, stay calm and call us at 912-755-1211. Our dedicated team of crime scene decontamination and biohazard cleaning experts will remove all traces of the incident and return your property back to its original state.  

Does Crime Actually Increase During the Holiday Season?

The holiday season usually refers to the time between Halloween and the New Year, roughly two months long. In many parts of the northern and western United States, this period is marked by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.

Colder temperatures usually reduce human activity, which also includes crime. Across the United States, the peak crime rates occur in the warmer spring and summer months. Based on this, there is an exception to this rule.

During the holidays, particularly as we get closer to the end of the year in December, there is a subtle increase in crime rates in many parts. The increase can be as high as 20% during the Christmas season, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey.

This spike is directly related to an increase in several different types of crime – larceny, robbery, and to an extent, burglary. What is the difference between these three? Let's find out:

  • Larceny: Simple larceny is usually a misdemeanor crime involving the theft of low-value physical objects from their owners. If the object stolen has a value beyond a certain threshold, then larceny becomes grand larceny, a felony crime.
  • Robbery: This is a more severe form of theft where the criminal uses force or threat of force to deprive the victim of their possessions. Even if no violence is inflicted, the threat of violence is enough to classify theft as a robbery. And in most cases, robbery is considered a violent crime and can carry a felony charge.
  • Burglary: When a criminal breaks into private property unlawfully to commit a crime or theft, it is called burglary. The property could be a house, building, field, or even a car. Burglary is always a felony, even if the actual intent of the criminal was just a misdemeanor.

Murder rates do not increase during the holiday season. Instead, most murders are committed in the summer. However,  the same cannot be said about other forms of violent crime like assault and battery – they can go up by a few percentage points during Christmas.

In effect, we can say that while the more severe crimes like murder decrease during the winters, criminal activity overall does see double-digit growth as we get closer to Christmas and the new year.

Why Do Crime Rates Go Up at Christmas?

Crime is a very complex matter involving numerous variables – psychological, economic, and social. We can only make some educated guesses regarding the various factors that contribute to an increase in criminal activity during the holiday season. They can include the following:

Opportunity

Holidays are a time of frenetic shopping activity – imagine crowds of people walking around with cash and other valuables on their person. People often leave their valuables and gifts in cars at their homes during the winter shopping spree. And many families often travel during this season, leaving their homes vacant – all easy targets for the opportunistic criminal.

Desperation

Christmas is also a painful season for your wallets – buying gifts, food, and drinks for family and friends can cost a small fortune. Many criminals often act out of sheer desperation in an attempt to get gifts for their families. Others are sometimes just flat-out broke and want money to get them through the cold months.

Porch Piracy

This a relatively new form of theft that arose with the rise of e-commerce deliveries. Porch pirates are people who steal packages left at the doors of others' homes. Since many Christmas shopping is done online these days, porch pirates have a glut of easy pickings to choose from in the days leading up to Christmas.

Stress & Alcohol

Violent altercations are a common sight during family get-togethers and parties. These social occasions are often highly stressful times for many people, as they are forced to spend time with individuals with whom they have issues. The stress, when combined with the consumption of alcohol and drugs, can lead to violent assaults or worse.

Crime Rates in Savannah, GA, During the Holidays

As a state with a humid subtropical climate, Georgia tends to have warmer Christmas than, say, New York or Connecticut. And this is also reflected in the state’s ranking for December crime rates. On the list of the states with the most thefts or burglaries in the Holiday Season, Georgia ranks fourth, behind Washington, New Mexico, and Texas.

Somewhat surprisingly, the states with the fewest thefts in the same period are New York, Vermont, Mississippi, South Dakota, and New Hampshire. Back in Georgia, the Atlanta Police Department records show that the highest number of crimes and arrests usually happens in December (this has nothing to do with the recent ANTIFA attack on Atlanta).

The situation is not that different in Savannah, GA, as it is Georgia’s fifth-largest city with a population of about 150,000 people. Holiday crimes tend to happen more often in urban areas than in rural communities. The Savannah metropolitan area is the third largest in the state, with a massive population of over 400,000.

Bio-One Savannah’s expert decontamination and biohazard cleaning services are available all over the greater Savannah metropolitan area, including nearby counties like Bulloch County, Brantley County, Camden County, Liberty County, Chatham County, and surrounding communities.

If you urgently need discreet crime scene cleanup services from an experienced decontamination cleaning company in any of these locations, you can rely on us. Our crime scene cleanup and biohazard decontamination crews are active 24/7. To contact our biohazard cleaning team, give us a call at 912-755-1211, or use our service request form here.

What is Crime Scene Cleanup and Biohazard Decontamination?

Injuries and death are common at scenes of crime, particularly when the criminal is challenged by either the victim, passers-by, or law enforcement. This invariably results in blood splatters, body fluids, feces, and other forms of biological contamination.

The duty of the first responders – police, paramedics, and other investigators – does not involve cleanup and biohazard decontamination. After they take all the relevant samples and other evidence, they often cede control of the crime scene property back to its original owners.

Up until at least the 1990s, the unpleasant task of crime scene cleanup and suicide cleanup was left to the hapless owners. Very few professional cleaning companies were willing to take up a biohazard decontamination job.

Thankfully, the 1990s and early 2000s also saw the genesis of the crime scene clean-up industry – professional cleaners who take over the responsibilities of removing all biological and chemical contaminants from a crime scene or trauma scene, sparing the owners of further duress. They are rightfully called the last responders.

Also called crime and trauma scene decontamination, or CTS decon, companies like Bio-One Savannah provide a vital service within the wider cleaning industry. It is certainly not for the faint of heart or stomach – crime scene cleanup and biohazard deal with blood, decaying animal/human remains, and potentially toxic substances like chemicals in a meth lab, for example.

Apart from crime scenes, CTS decon companies also handle suicide cleanup, odor removal, blood spill cleanup, hoarding cleanup, homeless encampment cleanup, feces urine cleanup service, junk removal, meth lab toxic chemical decontamination, and biohazard decontamination needs.

The prime duty of a biohazard decontamination and cleanup team is to remove all contaminants and dangerous substances from a site and restore it back to its previous state, fit for normal human use and habitation. This complex task is called remediation, and it requires a comprehensive cleaning approach. This is something best left in the hands of biohazard crime scene cleaning experts.

Why You Should Choose Experienced Biohazard Decontamination Professionals for Crime Scene Cleanup

While it may have been the norm in the distant past, cleaning a crime scene on your own is never a good idea. Here are 5 compelling reasons why you need to call in the experts like Bio-One Savannah for your crime scene clean-up and remediation:

Biohazard Decontamination

All bodily fluids – blood, urine, and feces – are considered biological hazards by the federal government due to their ability to spread dangerous pathogens and diseases. Biohazard cleaning team professionals always wear full protective gear (PPE kits) when cleaning any contaminated site. If you want to avoid the risk of catching deadly diseases like HIV and hepatitis, leave the cleanup to the professionals!

Mental Stress

Witnessing a crime happens on your property is traumatic, especially if you or your family were among the victims of violence. It is often a life-changing situation for many. Being forced to clean up the mess will only add to the overall mental trauma – crime scenes are often extremely gruesome and gut-wrenching. The best thing you can do is to spare yourself the trauma and bring in the experienced pros for a discreet crime scene cleanup.

Deep Cleaning

Blood is notoriously hard to clean from surfaces. It can flow and pool up under your carpets, floorboards, and other surfaces. If there were any headshot wounds, the brain matter may end up as hardened deposits on your walls. All these can lead to foul odors if the site is not properly disinfectd. Only a decontamination and biohazard cleaning company can provide comprehensive remediation in such circumstances.

Legal Protocols

You cannot unilaterally decide to undertake the cleanup of a crime scene – they are often of acute interest to law enforcement agencies. You need explicit permission from the investigating officers to even start the process. Experienced cleaners know the protocol and can handle everything on your behalf.

Property Valuation

Visible signs of violence can severely depreciate the value of a property and often render it unsellable. Ideally, you want any trace of the crime scene to be wiped out to protect your real estate investment. A discreet crime scene cleanup is essential. And to do this legally, you need the assistance of a professional crime scene cleaning team who has had the proper training.   

Call Our Trusted Team of Experts at Bio-One Crime Scene Cleanup Savannah

At Bio-One Savannah, we have the benefit of decades of professional cleaning experience among our teams to discreetly remediate impacted spaces. We offer a wide range of decontamination and biohazard cleaning services, including:

  • Crime scene biohazard cleanup service
  • Blood spill cleanup service
  • Homeless encampment cleanup service
  • Decomposition undiscovered death service
  • Feces urine cleanup service
  • Suicide cleanup services
  • Odor control
  • Mold remediation,
  • Vehicle decontamination, among others.

Bio-One Savannah is the premier name in crime scene cleanup and biohazard decontamination in Savannah, GA, and nearby counties. A proud, locally owned business, our biohazard decontamination professionals serving the local community have a stellar track record and high customer review ratings.

The Bio-One Team makes dependable and compassionate service a priority when dealing with all our clients. Our mission is simple – help first, business second. We are a trusted, experienced, and discreet decontamination cleaning company.

Along with years of experience and expertise in crime scene cleanups, we also offer our clients discretion, compassion, and comprehensive remediation. We deeply understand the impact a violent crime can have on the psyche – which is why we offer quick and efficient cleanup so that you can leave the incident in your past and move forward.

The Bio-One Savannah crime scene cleanup and biohazard services are available 24/7 – just give us a call at 912-755-1211 any time you have a crime scene cleanup or biohazard removal emergency. You can also contact us using the service request form available online on our website.