Hey! I actually have some experience on this subject, having traveled to Georgia back in '12 and studied the topic a bit.

First, what made it work was that it was such a bold, unprecedented decision. It was the kind of thing that nobody saw coming, and everyone took seriously. Second, it was definitely very succesful; Georgian police went from being among the most corrupt in the world, to a rather exemplary force. They were pretty much all extremely courteous and helpful, and all the locals I spoke with agreed that the reform had drastically improved quality of life.

On to whether or not it would be effective elsewhere, no I don't think so, for one big reason. In Georgia, people had, and continue to, line up for LEO jobs - they pay well and offer great benefits, so they were able to rebuild the force with a bunch of really good applicants. In the US, especially for young officers, pay is shit and the benefits are worse, meaning it would be a lot more difficult to find a replacement force.