Abstract: A method of protecting an active cash drawer from robbery comprising the following steps: housing the active cash drawer together with an emergency cash drawer in a housing having a frontal opening to accommodate the opening of a cash drawer; arranging for the active cash drawer to open through the frontal opening in the housing to facilitate routine cash transactions; generating an alarm signal in the event of a robbery and arranging for the emergency cash drawer to open instead of the active cash drawer subsequent to the alarm signal. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the frontal opening is generally the height of a cash drawer and the cash drawers vertically shift upwards within the housing subsequent to the alarm signal so that the active cash drawer is aligned behind the frontal opening prior to the alarm signal and the emergency cash drawer is in alignment with the frontal opening subsequent thereto.