Detroit's crime crisis is prompting such pessimism that 40 percent of residents plan to move within five years, according to a comprehensive poll of Detroiters' attitudes about their city and leadership.Residents overwhelmingly believe the city is on the wrong track and have no faith that city leaders have a plan to turn it around. Crime is by far their biggest worry — even higher than finding a job in a city where some put the true unemployment rate as high as 50 percent.
The survey suggests that, unless city officials can combat violence, efforts to halt decades of decline will fail. The city's population already has fallen by 1 million over the past 50 years, and residents including Michael LaBlanc said they are ready to leave.