Amidst the escalating crisis of organized retail crime in the United States, a novel security measure involving a disorienting and blinding fog has gained traction as a potential solution. Developed by DensityUSA, this cutting-edge technology has already been adopted in various countries within the European Union and Australia, and it is now making its presence felt in the U.S., according to Mike Egel, the President of DensityUSA.

Retail establishments are grappling with staggering losses attributed to theft, with an estimated $86.6 billion reported in 2022. Projections indicate that this figure could swell to a daunting $115 billion by 2025, as per findings from Capital One Shopping Research.

“I think the COVID-19 pandemic tore the social and economic fabric of America. Pre-pandemic, crime was on the decline. But when the nation shut down and the economy stepped backwards, common sense went to an all-time low. And sadly, crime rose and continues to grow,” Egel told Fox Business.

To safeguard their inventory, businesses have resorted to concealing products behind cash registers or securing them within glass cases. However, these measures have not deterred orchestrated smash-and-grab robberies, wherein criminals meticulously plan to seize as many items as possible and make a swift exit before witnesses can react or law enforcement arrives.

Egel recounted an incident in the United Kingdom where a truck rammed into the front of a jewelry store, yet the deployed fog swiftly engulfed the entire 900-square-foot space in less than five seconds.

He explained, “Once it’s activated, the DensityUSA system creates a dense fog with near-zero visibility conditions in just seconds. The fog is designed to be dense and disorientating to deter an intruder from following through with their intentions.”

In the case of the U.K. jewelry store, the assailants left empty-handed, with Egel explaining, “Thieves can’t steal what they can’t see.”

The versatile system can be implemented in various retail settings, spanning from clothing stores and pharmacies to cannabis dispensaries, convenience stores, and gun shops.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)