MANY SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN OFFERED AS AN AID TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN THE APPREHENSION OF ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS. STATISTICS ARE PROVIDED WHICH INDICATE THE PERCENT OF ARRESTS AS A FUNCTION OF POLICE RESPONSE TIME. IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF POLICE BY MEANS OF ALARM SYSTEMS IS ONE WAY TO REDUCE RESPONSE TIME AND INCREASE ARRESTS. THE TONE CONTROLLED ALARM SYSTEM IS BRIEFLY DESCRIBED, AND DISADVANTAGES OF THIS SYSTEM ARE NOTED. THE OPERATION OF THE PRERECORDED VOICE ALARM SYSTEMS IS THEN OUTLINED. THIS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A TRANSMITTER OPERATING ON THE USER'S RADIO CHANNEL WITH A POWER OUTPUT BETWEEN 2 AND 10 WATTS. RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS SYSTEM AS WELL AS A CASSETTE TAPE RECORDER/PLAYER WHICH MODULATES THE TRANSMITTER. THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF THIS SYSTEM IS THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE A SPECIAL DECODING RECEIVER IN THE PATROL CAR OR BASE STATION. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT FOOT PATROLMEN EQUIPPED WITH WALKIE-TALKIES MAY BE UTILIZED IN A STAKE OUT OPERATION. IT IS NOTED THAT VARIOUS SENSORS CONTAINING INTERNAL TRANSMITTERS OPERATING AT 300 MHZ MAY BE UTILIZED TO ACTUATE THE MAIN ALARM TRANSMITTER. THESE SENSORS INCLUDE CASH REGISTER BILL TRAPS, PANIC SWITCHES AND FLOOR MATS. DOOR SWITCHES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY SO THAT THE UNIT MAY ALSO BE UTILIZED AS AN INTRUSION ALARM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)