Fremont Mayoral Candidate Justin Sha critiques Lily Mei’s record on racial justice on grounds of transparency

On September 30, 2020, Kentucky’s attorney general was also criticized on transparency grounds.

FREMONT, CA, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On September 30, 2020, Kentucky’s attorney general asked to delay the release of grand jury recordings and documents involved with proceedings that failed to indict any officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor.

“The lack of transparency demonstrated in the case of Breonna Taylor occurs across the country, including in the City of Fremont,” said Justin Sha, Fremont Mayoral Candidate. “It is not about the fact that the Mayor cited her faith as a reason not to kneel. Rather, what made me uncomfortable is the fact that the Mayor stated it in such a way that it came off as an excuse—a disingenuous afterthought, one intentionally designed to placate both ‘sides.’ Her fence straddling added fuel to the fire and ultimately has invigorated those in the community who are opposed to racial justice.”

Mayor Lily Mei has been criticized by community members for talking down to protesters and playing up stereotypes in several interviews that she has done. Her administration has also been criticized for holding postmortem town halls, where residents feel like they are being talked at by city officials rather than genuinely listened to. The Fremont Police Department has reported that demonstrations in Fremont have been peaceful.

In the past four years, overall crime has increased in Fremont. Whereas Fremont saw 2417, 2755, and 2997 thefts in 2014, 2015, and 2016, after the Mayor took office, theft has increased to 3545, 3284, and 3408 in 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively. Commercial and residential burglaries have also increased, and car break-ins have spiked.

Justin Sha supports the creation of a task force to improve community relations with the Fremont Police Department. He also supports making Fremont a safer city for all residents by prioritizing quality of life impacts, such as the spikes that Fremont has seen in commercial & residential break-ins and carjackings. If elected, Justin Sha has stated that he will engage trained health professionals to answer homelessness and public health calls.

On Fremont Mayoral Candidate Justin Sha’s Facebook Page post, Justin Sha wrote --

When seeking election, Mayor Lily Mei promised to “listen to citizen concerns” and “amplify” the people’s voice, but the Mayor continues to turn her back on that promise—time and time again.

In 2019, the Mayor’s administration destroyed decades of Fremont Police Department records before a California transparency law would have made them accessible to public scrutiny. This included documents covering decades of internal affair investigations and citizen complaints. In a KQED investigative report, the Mayor’s actions and judgment were laid bare, and the Mayor has continued to directly undermine government accountability, public safety, and community trust.

Under the Mayor’s leadership, crime and racism have both increased. Commercial and residential burglaries have skyrocketed, and many in our community are the victims of profiling and racially targeted crime. While I have called on our Police Chief and Mayor to disaggregate victim data by factors like race/ethnicity for over two years, our city has yet to do so. Bottom line? We need to stop claiming that Fremont is a “safe city” until we can answer the necessary follow-up—safe for who?

We live in a country where Black kids are given “the talk” by their parents. We live in a country where immigrants and minorities are afraid to talk to the police. We live in a country where public servants act in ways to avoid the ire of local police associations, resulting in decreases to transparency and accountability in government.

We can no longer stand silent as bystanders to racial discrimination. George Floyd was murdered when a police officer kneeled on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Yet, when the moment came, we missed it: Fremont missed the moment. On June 2, 2020, Fremont residents demonstrated for racial justice—for the simple premise that innocent people do not deserve to be murdered due to their skin color. When asked for a mere sign to show understanding of the seriousness of racial justice in America, the Mayor refused to kneel. She refused to kneel for even a moment, let alone for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

As Mayor, I will work to make Fremont a safer city. I will disaggregate victim data. I will have law enforcement officials partner with mental health specialists to address homelessness and mental health calls. And, unlike this Mayor, I will promote government accountability and transparency, and be an ally to our marginalized community at every chance I get. We will make sure that Fremont is a safer city for all our residents, both housed and unhoused. We need new vision and bold leadership to effect structural change and create a brighter future for the City of Fremont.

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About Justin Sha:

Justin Sha is running for Mayor of Fremont, CA. Sha is VP of Customer Success at Droisys, a global technology company headquartered in Fremont, and he teaches business law at Ohlone College. Sha is an involved community member, serving on local nonprofit boards. He is the Chairman of Asian American Millennials for American Advancement as well as a member of the Ohlone College Foundation Board. Sha received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and his J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law.

To learn more, visit Justin Sha's campaign website: https://justin4fremont.org/

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Fremont Needs a Mayor Who Upholds Racial Justice