How Is SHIELD Different From Other Security Companies In Buffalo?

Question: How Many Law Enforcement-Backed Security Companies In Buffalo NY Are There?

Answer: ONE.

I’m Ken Jezioro, the founder of SHIELD Security Systems Buffalo NY. Almost 40 years ago, there weren’t ANY security companies in Buffalo, NY, so I founded SHIELD in 1976. I was a full time cop at the time. I suppose I should use the politically correct “police officer,” but honestly, I’m not a “politically correct” kind of guy.  I’m just a normal guy who loved working on the force. When I was a kid, my grandfather served as the chief homicide detective in downtown Buffalo. This inspired me to pursue a career in law enforcement.

The Milk Box That Started It All

Ironically, shortly after I got accepted onto the force, my house was burglarized.  The kid down the street punched in the milk box on the side of my house and climbed through.  I wasn’t upset about the fact that he punched in my milk box. Actually, I thought it was pretty resourceful!  What really burned was the fact that he broke into my home and stole the awards I had won while in the Police Academy. I’d earned the Trifecta- the top 3 awards given for outstanding achievement:

• Best Shot – For best-in-class handgun shooting and maneuvers
• High Academics – My mom was always proud of my academics!
• Physical Fitness – My  high school athletics paid off, after all!

I won handguns that were proudly (and safely) displayed in 3 solid mahogany gun cases.  This kid took all three.

Humble Beginnings….

Having a security system in Buffalo was not common 35 years ago, but I was determined to prevent another break-in. I tried hiring a company to install a home security system, but the cost was too much. They wanted about $12,000 to install a simple system in my home – a duplex on the west side of Buffalo. THAT wasn’t an option since I was only earning about $12,000 a year back then. The only other option was to install a system myself – which I ultimately did.  It took me a few weeks and lots of late night reading, but I did it. My home was protected and I never felt more peace-of-mind than I did after I installed that system. Every night after working all day, I’d come home to my house and find it just the way I’d left it. It felt great!

I shared that story with a few of my friends on the force and word began to spread though my department. I ended up installing security systems for some of my fellow police officers, and my company was born.

The original name of my company was “Burglar Busters of Buffalo”.

Years later I changed the name of my company to SHIELD because I wanted a more professional image and I was proud of the law enforcement history in my family.  Our current logo is representative of my badge.

We’ve worked hard to build a company that makes the Buffalo community safer.  Through the years, we’ve added fire, video surveillance, environmental monitoring and medical monitoring to our list of products and services offered.

Today, there are over 178 different security companies in Buffalo, NY.  Although we started here, we now serve markets outside of Buffalo through our franchise company. SHIELD now serves customers from Long Island to as far west as Texas and Kansas. We’ve even expanded into Australia.

Although national competitors have entered the marketplace, we serve a niche of quality conscious and loyal customers. Our goal is to provide simple security solutions so people feel safe. It’s that simple.

There you have it… the story of my company  SHIELD Security Systems.