Exhibit 99.2


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. John W. Hesse, Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer (972) 916-6102
or Montgomery W. Cornell, Treasurer (972) 916-6044
Protection One, Inc.
www.protectionone.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                           PROTECTION ONE, INC. ANNOUNCES COMMON STOCK OFFERING

         Culver City, California,  May 14, 1998 -- Protection One, Inc. (NASDAQ:
ALRM) announced that it has filed a prospectus  supplement  relating to a public
offering by the Company of approximately 5.3 million shares of its common stock.
The common stock will be offered to the public through an underwriting syndicate
led by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter;  Bear,  Stearns & Co. Inc.;  Lehman Brothers;
Bancamerica Robertson Stephens and Wheat First Union.

         Anticipated  proceeds to  Protection  One from the public  offering are
expected  to be used to  redeem a  portion  of the  outstanding  13 5/8%  Senior
Subordinated Discount Notes due 2005 of Protection One Alarm Monitoring, Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of Protection One.

         A prospectus supplement relating to the public offering may be obtained
from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036.

         Protection  One  is  concurrently   offering  in  a  private  placement
approximately  23.2 million shares of common stock to Westar Capital,  Inc., its
major  stockholder  and a wholly owned  subsidiary  of Western  Resources,  Inc.
Anticipated  proceeds to  Protection  One from the private  placement  to Westar
Capital are  expected  to be used to repay  indebtedness  outstanding  under the
Company's senior credit facility.

                  Protection One, one of the largest security alarm companies in
the  United  States,  provides  monitoring  and  related  security  services  to
approximately  1.2 million  residential  and commercial  subscribers  across the
nation.