Originally Posted by
EMG
They abandoned it because Coleman Young decimated any power the police force previously had to maintain law and order, leading to increased crime, leading to decreased safety and lower property values.
Of course, not all the blame goes to Coleman. The cross district school busing issue which came to a head shortly before that had a lot to do with the mass exodus as well. Nonetheless, the election of John Nichols and the maintenance of a strong police force minus the internal corruption that was the hallmark of the Young administration could have slowed down the decline considerably.