Watch CBS News

New security system uses dense fog to stop thieves

Fog security system disorients thieves | On Your Side
Fog security system disorients thieves | On Your Side 04:07

Some businesses that have become victims of shoplifting and burglaries have turned to a new type of security system to protect their property.

The new security system uses fog to make it difficult for thieves to see.

fog.jpg
A new security system uses dense fog to stop thieves. It is meant to disorient them without being harmful. 

The company that makes them is Density USA. It's a system that uses a high-powered motor to crank out dense fog with near-zero visibility within seconds. It's harmless to intruders, made of water and glycol but it's designed to be dense and disorienting.

Johnathan Huettner, the director of IT at Skyline Security said his company offers the product in the Los Angeles area.

"It's like having a blanket over your head. You can't find the door from six inches away," Huettner said.  

The system has been around in the United Kingdom for years, but it's new in the U.S. Huettner said it's already been put to the test with great success, catching thieves who are often undeterred by traditional alarms.

"The minute it starts spraying out, they know they can't take anything or see anything and so they usually turn right away," Huettner said.

That's exactly what happened last May at a break-in at a pharmacy in Chatsworth. The fog was still spilling out of the shop when police and the owner arrived. The thieves were nowhere to be found, scared away by the mysterious-looking haze.

A marijuana dispensary installed the density fog system after being targeted by burglars. 

"We have fortifications. We have a lot of money invested in cameras, but the challenge is those solutions don't do anything once something is underway," said the dispensary owner. "For us, it gave us another layer of protection that could be deployed automatically when no one was here."

The system costs about $3,000 to own or you can lease it for less. Density USA said they have both commercial and residential clients in Southern California. The size of the property isn't an issue, according to the company.

"You can place multiple units if you have a bigger store," Huettner said. "We also have bigger units that can fog 30, 40, 50, 100,000 square feet in just seconds."

The company said the fog doesn't harm goods like food or clothing. For now, commercial clients are only permitted to use the Density Fog Security System outside of business hours, when no customers would be inside.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.