While the phenomenon of retail smash-and-grab robberies continues to sweep through Chicago, merchants may have a new tool with which to fight back.
It's called instant fog.
A small machine attaches to a store's alarm system and fills a room with a harmless white fog when it is triggered.
Mike Egel of DensityUSA, the U.S. distributor of the European-built systems, said the humidifier-sized devices offer an additional layer of protection on top of metal shades, alarm systems and cameras. The criminals, he said, "come in with a really bad idea and we change their mind and chase them out."
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Instant fog devices use a combination of distilled water and glycol to produce a dry fog that can completely obscure a small store space in a matter of seconds. The company says the devices are perfect for the retail environment because they don't hurt people or damage merchandise.
Some systems are already in use in the Chicago area, but store owners are reluctant to say if they are using the devices. Ald. Brian Hopkins said some of the first units were installed in stores in his 2nd Ward.
"Some of the stores in my ward that have implemented this technology, they have almost eliminated the overnight robberies," Hopkins said.
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Hopkins said the Chicago Fire Department tested and approved the devices for use. "There is really no reason for a retailer not to do this if they have been hit repeatedly," he said.
Egel said criminals know that police can’t be everywhere. He said they take advantage of the time it takes for them to arrive to take what they came for and make their getaway. The fog machines create a disorienting situation.
"We place the machines in such a way that the fog billows out at the criminal as they are entering the premises, so they turn and leave," Egel said.
Hopkins said the machines present a more attractive alternative than rolling metal shades, which he said can be unsightly.
Egel said the devices can placed out of sight behind the counter.
"We are sick and tired of the criminal element having the edge," he said. "We are bringing back the edge to the other side of this."
