§ MR. GREGORYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been directed to the number of burglaries and robberies from the person committed in the metropolitan district; and if he has considered whether any new arrangements of the police force should be made with a view of preventing such outrages and dealing with the large criminal population?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSSir, my attention has, of course, been directed to this matter. I am happy to say that the members of one of the gangs of thieves who, no doubt, committed many of the burglaries are now undergoing various terms of penal servitude, and I hope that in the future a far less number of crimes will be committed. Some time ago I placed the Detective Force under the temporary command of a legal gentleman connected with the office; but now that the Commission has made its Report, I have felt justified in appointing a person of high qualifications to the head of the Detective Force in the metropolis. Under his direction, no doubt, very great improvements will be effected in the action of that Force. I may add that measures have been taken, which, I hope, will conduce towards bringing about a closer connection, as far as concerns the detection of crime, between the Metropolitan Police Force and the different Police Forces in the counties and boroughs throughout the Kingdom?