Saying his region is still “safe,” tone deaf York Police Chief Jim MacSween wants people under attack call 911, hide and wait for the cops<\/p>\n
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Published Sep 03, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 9\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
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Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Just \u201chide and comply\u201d and maybe the armed intruders invading your house will not hurt you or your family.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n That\u2019s York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween\u2019s recommendation to the public following the gutless murder of 46-year-old dad, Abdul Aleem Farooqi.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Easy for him to say. It wasn\u2019t MacSween who had masked bandits pointing a gun at his four-year-old daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn the unlikely event that you find yourself a victim of a home invasion, we are urging citizens not take matters into their own hands,\u201d the chief said at a news conference Wednesday. \u201cWhile we don\u2019t want homeowners to feel powerless, we urge you to call 911 and do everything you can to keep yourself and loved ones safe until police arrive and be the best witness possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But when will police arrive?\u00a0<\/p>\n York Regional Police have not yet commented with how long it took to respond to this Vaughan distress call Sunday? While unconfirmed,\u00a0people close to this family say there was at least a 13-minute wait for police to arrive and that the original call was made before the killers had even breached the home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Recommended video We apologize, but this video has failed to load.<\/p>\n Play Video<\/p>\n Wait for police?\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to a criminal investigation, there should be a coroner\u2019s inquest into Farooqi\u2019s slaying so every part can be reviewed.<\/p>\n The chief seemed tone deaf while addressing a disgusted community, shaken that a wonderful father of four, respected businessman and much-loved member of\u00a0 Vaughan\u2019s Muslim community could be gunned down at 1 a.m. inside his own home by bandits looking for valuables. No matter how it\u2019s spun, this was not this dad\u2019s fault. <\/p>\n It\u2019s all on the bad guys and a system that does not punish them.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n I want to pay tribute to a friend.<\/p>\n Only two weeks ago, I spent time with Aleem Farooqi and his son at my community BBQ. This is the photo.<\/p>\n While protecting his children, Aleem was brutally and tragically killed in his home. An unimaginable tragedy for his family and for the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/nyM7gsyEtz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Stephen Lecce (@Sflecce) September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Suggesting that we bow to the criminal element reminds me of the time a cop suggested that people\u00a0 leave keys at the front door for the carjackers.\u00a0<\/p>\n While this is a good and respected chief who gets a lot of things right, he got this one wrong. His by-the-book messaging is falling on deaf ears from a public who has had enough.<\/p>\n When the courts routinely let offenders out of custody and there aren\u2019t enough cops to quickly respond to all the crimes, few want to listen to any more advice from the system telling them to lay down and let the criminals have their way with you, your car or home or your family.\u00a0<\/p>\n They are done with that.\u00a0<\/p>\n The chief suggests one of the ways to obey criminals \u201ccould be locking yourself in a room away from the perpetrators, hiding, fleeing the home\u201d but he suggests \u201cdon\u2019t engage unless absolutely necessary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It\u2019s not helpful. It\u2019s not realistic. He\u2019s not gauging the mood of the moment as well as Premier Doug Ford. The premier has not only stood up for people confronting criminals, but has called for laws to be changed to allow people to protect themselves in their homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Ford called the people who killed Aleem \u201cScumbags,\u201d MacSween, who also argued that \u201ccrime is down\u201d in many sectors, referred to them as \u201csuspects.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Crime is certainly not down in the past two weeks in York Region.\u00a0<\/p>\n Saying he\u2019s been down to Queen\u2019s Park himself to fight for bail reform, MacSween added the powers that be have not been able to \u201cmove the needle.\u201d <\/p>\n He said that \u201cthe premier can make his own statement and mind up about that\u201d but \u201cwhat I would say is\u00a0 \u2014 as a police service \u2014 we will follow the laws as a written. If the laws change, we\u2019ll change with the laws, but as it stands, we know the best defence for most people is to comply.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Comply? Should they fly a white flag over their homes?<\/p>\n He added: \u201cYou just heard a number of safety recommendations (that) will allow for those that are victimizing members of the community to leave and not hurt anyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n What he\u2019s really saying is the gangsters are in charge and if you don\u2019t upset them, do what they ask \u2014 if you are lucky \u2014 they will spare you from their violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n Said the chief: \u201cWhen we have a weekend like we just had, it\u2019s easy to understand our community is feeling unsafe, but let me say this once again: This does remain a safe place to live and our service is doing everything possible to investigate these crimes and maintain public safety.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s not safe. The Farooqi\u2019s know it. Everybody knows it \u2014 everybody but Chief MacSween.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n![\"Easy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/YRP-Chief-Jim-MacSween-e1756918664875.jpg\")
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween updates the media on a number of recent violent crimes in his service’s jurisdiction during a news conference on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Photo by Jack Boland \/Toronto Sun\/Postmedia NetworkArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.4.3\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Abdul Aleem Farooqi, 46, was fatally shot in his Vaughan home. Photo by Stephen Lecce \/X<\/p>\n![\"Loading...\"](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.4.3\/websites\/images\/common\/icon-spinner-animated.svg\"){kind=icon}
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Murder victim \u2026 is pictured with Premier Doug Ford (L) and Energy Minister Stephen Lecce.<\/p>\n![\"(R)](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Farooqi-and-Del-Duca-1-e1756932023597.jpg\")
(R) Naeem Farooqi, brother of Alex Farooqi, 46, who was killed during a home invasion in his Vaughan home on Sunday, speaks at Vaughan City Hall with (L) Mayor Steven Del Duca on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Photo by Jack Boland \/Toronto Sun\/Postmedia Network<\/p>\n
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