Fog Bandit foils Mayfair robbers

19 Apr 09

The Fog Bandit security system has proven its worth to end users by foiling a raid at retail premises in London’s fashionable Mayfair district.

By Brian Sims

On Friday 13 March, late in the afternoon, two mopeds pulled up outside a luxury goods store in London’s Mayfair. Four men wearing motorcycle helmets and carrying sledge hammers attacked the entrance door to the premises, smashing their way through the glass before directing their attentions to the watch and jewellery cabinets.

Almost immediately, the store manager initiated the high speed security Fog Bandit which, in just two seconds, projected a six metre-long blanket of visually impenetrable yet harmless fog which screened the targeted display cabinets and forced the raiders to flee the store without any reward.

The whole event, from the mopeds appearing outside the store to the raiders fleeing the scene, took less than 26 seconds.

Having been the victim of a previous raid in December 2008 and suffering substantial stock losses, the subsequent enhancements to the store’s security by management enabled the disruption to business continuity following this second incident to be minimal (with the deterrent to future attacks significantly strengthened).

Speaking to SMT Online about the incident, the store manager (who cannot be named for security reasons) explained: “The Fog Bandit really did its job, with the robbers fleeing immediately and empty handed as soon as the system was activated. We would recommend any luxury goods store to protect their stock and staff by having a similar system installed.”

What cannot be seen, cannot be stolen

The state-of-the-art Bandit - designed and developed by Bandit (UK) - is one of the fastest security fogging systems of its kind. When sensors detect an intruder (overnight protection) or a personal alarm is raised (daytime protection), the Bandit’s patented high-pressure system instantly delivers a dense, visually impenetrable fog at the incredible rate of 28 cubic metres per second, projecting it six metres in the first two seconds alone. An average-sized shop, office or showroom of 140 cubic metres takes just five seconds to fill.

The same Bandit unit can be used for 24/7 risk applications. Daytime robbery deterrent is achieved by deploying a short controlled activation to create a fog curtain between the raider and the staff and/or goods.

Overnight protection is achieved via a longer activation filling the entire area with impenetrable fog where valuable stock, equipment and other contents can be obscured from sight. This protects them from the possibility of theft or damage until the appropriate and relevant authorities arrive.

The benefits of installing a Fog Bandit

• one of the fastest ways to help protect your assets from theft

• dual function, 24/7 protection from the same unit

• protects against the possibility of internal damage to property

• helps keep insurance loss claims to a minimum

• deters intruders from further attempts

• the fog is harmless, leaves no residue and so is safe to use in any environment

The end result is that considerable cost, time and effort can be saved, disruption to business is reduced to a minimum and normal trading can be quickly resumed.