MEMPHIS, Tenn — As break-ins continue to plague Memphis, business owners are looking for any and every option to protect their stores.
Some buy extra-strength glass, others invest in private security, and some, like Joe’s Wines and Liquor, are switching to fog.
Memphis liquor stores in particular are under constant threat of costly smash and grabs.
It is something that keeps general manager Sisco Larson up at night.
“(Joe’s has) been in our family for 20-plus years,” Larson said. “And we have to worry about thievery and people breaking in and smash and grab and all the stuff that's happening right now.”
Larson said someone broke into the store in 2022 and someone tried again during the summer of 2023. That is why he had DensityUSA’s fogging security system installed at Joe’s in November 2022.
“The last time we tested it with Eyeon (Memphis-based security company that installed the system), I would not have been able to see you in front of me,” Larson said.
If someone tries to break in, the fog can deploy in seconds, quickly filling up a room (depending on its size) and making everything inside seemingly disappear.
According to DensityUSA, the vapor is harmless and won’t leave behind any residue. But it will make it almost impossible to see for at least one hour.
“It creates confusion among perpetrators, creates an inability to communicate and obviously, with sight impaired, it's a whole lot harder to do their thieving,” said Eyeon Technologies president Britt Summers who says he has installed similar security systems at other Mid-South businesses.
It also gives police more time to catch would-be thieves in the act. For Larson, it also provides peace of mind.
“To not wake up in the middle of night and think that someone could be in the store,” he said. “So I've been sleeping better.”
DensityUSA says Joe’s is one of at least five Memphis businesses using the fogging system.
The fog can be activated remotely from most devices. Eyeon Technologies set up the Joe’s system to activate manually and automatically.