▁the ▁new ▁l umber ▁industry ▁bar ons . ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁Alb any ' s ▁l umber ▁industry ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁fort unes ▁for ▁Ar bor ▁Hill . ▁ ▁Once ▁exclusive ▁and ▁prosper ous , ▁after ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁dist ress ed ▁light ▁industrial ▁and ▁resident ial ▁neighborhood ▁. ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century , ▁it ▁was ▁mostly ▁settled ▁by ▁a ▁mix ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁Europe , ▁but ▁primarily ▁Irish - Amer icans . ▁During ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁mayor ▁Er ast us ▁Cor ning ▁II ▁( 1 9 4 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 3 ), ▁urban ▁spraw l ▁contributed ▁to ▁white ▁flight , ▁and ▁the ▁area ▁lost ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁population . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁it ▁became ▁dem ograph ically ▁pre domin antly ▁African - American . ▁ ▁The ▁neighborhood ▁police ▁unit ▁for ▁Ar bor ▁Hill ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁Law ▁En for cement ▁Administration ▁Agency ▁( LE AA ), ▁which ▁paid ▁for ▁the ▁staff ing ▁and ▁training ▁of ▁ 4 8 ▁officers . ▁As ▁the ▁LE AA ▁fell ▁victim ▁to ▁budget ▁cut s , ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁left ▁with ▁little ▁money ▁for ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁units ▁and ▁staff ing ▁fell ▁to ▁ 3 2 ▁officers . ▁Within ▁one ▁week ▁a ▁fire b omb ▁destroyed ▁the ▁building ▁at ▁the ▁corner