Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-11-02
LONDON DETECTIVES.
THE ORGANIZATION OF WHICH
SCOTLAND YARD is THE CENTER

SCOTLAND YARD is THE CENTER.
Management of the Detective Force
Which Has Been Made Famous by
Writers of Sensational Fiction-Limited
Extent of Their Supervision-The Force.
The London detective force is, as at pres
ent constituted, the outcome of a scandal and
a reform. In 1877 three members of the
force were proved to have been in league
with a gang of swindlers, and there was an
investigation by a commission, which re-
vealed such state of affairs that the report
was never made public. The recommended
tions of the.committee led to complete re-
organization of the force, which formerly
had consisted of several detectives il each
district under the absolute direction of the
superintendent or captain of the district, and
of thirty men at Scotland Yard, which was
the central Office. There were, therefore,
nearly twenty different and almost entirely
independent detachments of the detective
force and the work was without harmony or
unity.
The reform which went into effect on
Aprils, 1878, aimed to consolidate the force
and centralize the authority and succeeded
in practice, for matters have gradually
drifted back toward the old customs, until
now it is said that, SO far as unity and har-
mony of action is concerned, the force is
nearly as badly off as ever. The control of
the detective force under the reformed re-
gime was placed in new department, that
of criminal investigation, over which pre-
sided the director at Scotland Yard In each
division of the city there is local inspector
in charge of the detectives, and theoretically
the personal representative of the director,
although actually subordinate to the super
intendent or captain.
THE THEORY OF IT.
The inspector is supposed to take his in
structions direct from Scotland Yard and to
report directly there Practically this theory
does not work. and detective work is carried
on pretty much ON the old divisional basis.
The fiction of Scotland Yard being the CEN
ter of all detective work is still kept up to
the extent that the inspectors are required
to meet there from time to time with the as
sistant commissioner, which is the present
title of the director, and presumably to con-
suit together over their work. The local
superintendent are also required to send each
morning to the central office reports of the
crimes that have come under their notice in
their divisions during the preceding twenty
four hours, and the assistant commissioner is
supposed to issue instructions as to what shall
be done about them. In fact, the whole matter
is simply remanded to the local authorities,
except in case of some notorious affair like
that at Whitechapel, where regard for the
looks of the thing compels the assistant COM
missioner and other chiefs of the force to
make state visit to the locality solemnly
gather points, look duly mysterious, and then
go away and leave the matter just where it
had been all along.
There are now 400 of these detectives dis
tributed about among the different divisions,
as the needs of each seem to require. There
are 800 others put on duty during the winter
season, and known as the ''winter patroln
Detectives are appointed from the ordinary
uniformed policemen, first on the winter
patrol and then on the permanent force re-
gard being had, nominally at any rate, for
the shrewdness and ability shown by the men
in the lower grades of work.
FAMOUS IN FICTION
The regular Scotland Yard detectives,
famed in fiction if nowhere else, make up
now body of eighty men, nearly all of them
ranking as inspectors, and forming a division
by themselves under the direct command of
the assistant commissioner. 1t is their bust
ness to investigate notable crimes of all sorts
anywhere in the city, but forgeries, embezzle-
ments and similar affairs of financial nature
are most directly in their line. Besides this
they have an immense amount of business to
do for the government and for foreign gov
ernments and police departments, and they
must investigate all applications for natural
ization and must attend great popular
gatherings to keep a general lookout for,
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