Gaming Cafes, Businesses Fight Back Against Smash-And-Grab Burglars With Foggers

ALSIP, IL—Gaming cafes and businesses with video gaming terminals are fighting back against smash-and-grab burglars by installing smoke-fogging security systems.

The “smoke cloaks” generate a dense white fog that can completely cover any visibility within seconds, making it impossible for intruders to see or steal, according to manufacturers.

The Village of Alsip has introduced a new ordinance regulating the installation of “fogger” burglary alarms designed to slow down or stop thieves and smash-and-grab burglars.

In an email shared with the Alsip Chamber of Commerce, Chief Tom Styczyski of the Alsip Fire Department said many local businesses have hired vendors to install density fogging systems in their businesses.

The fire chief is reminding Alsip businesses and homeowners who’ve hired vendors to install these systems of a new village ordinance requiring them to apply for an electrical permit from the Alsip Building Department.

“The provisions are for the fire department,” Styczyski said in his email to businesses. “If a device is activated, we can tell the difference between [the density fogger] and a real fire.”

Those choosing a vendor to install these security systems must follow the ordinance, beginning with applying for an electrical permit.

Also, the Alsip Fire Department requires that fluid used to generate fog is primarily water-based, not oil-based.

“This is for the protection of everyone’s respiratory system, including the firefighters,” the fire chief said. “This is our check and balance to be notified of a system going in and to ensure ordinance compliance…”

In 2025, the Illinois Gaming Board said that more than $2.7 million was stolen during 473 burglaries at gaming cafes and other businesses offering video gaming terminals, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Nearly half of those burglaries—219—occurred between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, and south suburban businesses have not been spared.

Styczyski said he understood the rampant amount of break-ins and theft.

“We are 100 percent in support of our business at curbing or stopping these events,” Styczyski added.

Read the ordinance.