Detroit officials had no idea one of their lawyers is awaiting trial on drug and gun charges, until I called the mayor's office. The incident reveals a problem with the city's "Ban the box" policy.

A city of Detroit policy intended to increase opportunities for prospective employees resulted in the hiring of a lawyer awaiting trial on drug trafficking and gun charges.

Danasia Neal was considered an exemplary employee — until I contacted the mayor's office and asked if they knew she had been arrested in 2021 after police searched her SUV and found guns and fentanyl.

City officials said that was news to them. And within 24 hours of my call, Neal was a former employee of the city of Detroit.

Neal was not required to disclose the charges against her when she was hired in April 2022 because Detroit is a "ban the box" employer. For those unfamiliar with the term, the National Conference of State Legislatures says: "'Ban the box' policies arose from a belief that employers should consider a job candidate’s qualifications first — without the stigma of a conviction or arrest record. Many ban the box policies provide applicants a fair chance at employment by removing conviction and arrest history questions from job applications and delaying background checks until later in the hiring process."

The unenviable task of explaining how the city hired someone accused of contributing to the fentanyl crisis that plagues our city and our nation fell to Conrad Mallett Jr., a former chief...

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