Antiburglary security fog systems growing in demand amid rise of smash-and-grab burglaries

Hoffman Estates’ allowance of antiburglary security fog systems last week is expected to provide a pivotal Northwest suburban foothold for devices that are increasingly demanded by businesses anxious about smash-and-grab burglaries.

Once triggered by an intruder, the systems instantly pump thick clouds of non-toxic theatrical fog into a closed business, making it impossible to see for up to an hour. Would-be burglars have little choice but to get away empty-handed.

Hoffman Estates Police Chief Kasia Cawley endorsed the security fog technology to village trustees, explaining how effective it had been in reducing visibility to zero at a demonstration she attended.

“Criminals will go the path of least resistance,” she said. “I think very quickly after they realize we’re utilizing these, they’re going to go to places that don’t have these. Because there’s no way around the fog.”

The presence of the fog systems is forewarned with signs for burglars savvy enough to look for them.

Because the security fog is initially so thick, police responses to Hoffman Estates burglar alarms in which it’s deployed would require a perimeter to be established around the business until the fog clears enough for officers to safely enter and search, Cawley said.

But most criminals’ reaction is to immediately retreat the way they came at the first sign of the fog, as demonstrated by many surveillance videos.

Demand for the systems is growing amid a rash of smash-and-grab burglaries that have particularly targeted video gambling machines in restaurants, bars and other businesses. Suburban law enforcement agencies have pursued even greater coordination of their resources as a result.

More than 50 detectives from police departments and sheriff’s offices in Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties met in the early autumn to create a task force aimed at sharing intelligence to locate and arrest the criminals responsible.

Wheeling appears to be the only other suburb within 20 miles of Hoffman Estates that already allows security fog systems. Wheeling police officials said they shared their successes with Hoffman Estates and supported the staff recommendation to allow the systems there.

Hoffman Estates Village Trustee Patrick Kinnane strongly supported making the permits available to any category of business and expressed skepticism that such systems would provoke more daytime robberies.

“I think we should open it up to businesses that feel they have sufficient assets they want to protect ― particularly with these smash-and-grabs,” Kinnane said. “I think the number one concern of a criminal is witnesses, so they prefer to get in and out and not be witnessed.”

In explaining the necessary changes being made to the village’s fire code last Monday, Hoffman Estates Fire Chief Alan Wax told trustees he didn’t expect it to take long for interested businesses in town to enlist the added protection available.

Missouri-based Density USA is one supplier of the security fog that can be installed as a third layer of protection by the same security companies that provide intruder alarms and surveillance cameras.

While the average four-minute time of a burglary falls below the average six-minute response time of law enforcement, such thefts have been difficult to thwart with lesser methods, according to the company’s website.

“This is the immediate threat deterred,” Density USA President Mike Egel said. “We protect anybody who has an asset to protect.”

Gambling establishments with machines that can contain $25,000 to $80,000 each are a growing market for the technology, Egel said.

With such assets on the premises, it costs a business only a couple thousand dollars more than they’ve already invested in security to get started with the fog system, he added.

While such methods have been used in Europe for three decades, technology upgrades over the past few years have driven growing popularity in the U.S., Egel said. The pump-driven systems his company delivers have replaced pressurized canisters that had the potential to explode.

Wax emphasized to Hoffman Estates trustees that the fog being used would be completely non-toxic and safe to breathe. But out of an abundance of caution, the village’s enabling law requires any food exposed to the fog to be thrown out and any eating surfaces and utensils to be fully cleaned before they can be used again.

Beyond the Northwest suburbs, the nearest communities that permit security fog systems include Alsip, Berwyn, Darien, Elmwood Park, Hickory Hills, Homer Glen, Lyons, Oak Lawn and Tinley Park.

epeterson@dailyherald.com