Disclosed are arrangements that provide security for items to which access is restricted by providing a single layer of security requiring a biometric signature (101) for access. A memory-space reduction approach reduces the search time to identify a matching biometric signature, this based on an auxiliary input (112) that is vocally uttered by a user seeking access to the controlled item (811). The disclosed arrangements can also use the auxiliary codes as control signals to expand the utility of the disclosed voice controlled memory partitioning arrangements.