The Shadow of Great Britain

Arthur heard Victoria’s question and couldn’t help but move the corner of his mouth slightly.

He was like a magician ready to reveal a trick, already knowing in advance that the little audience below would be surprised and applaud for him.

”Your Majesty, the previous few laws, whether the original draft of 1829, or the amendments of ’33 and ’34, they all solved the same problem. That is ensuring the existence of the police system.”

Victoria blinked: ”Existence?”

”Yes.” Arthur nodded: ”Previously, London didn’t have a unified police force. The nightwatchmen and patrol squads were organized independently by magistrates and parishes, each district doing its own thing, each family busy with its own cases. The 1829 act gathered what was scattered into one, forming a single team.”

”And the amendments of ’33 and ’34?”

”They allowed the police to grow from an infant into a youth who can walk independently.” Arthur slowly raised his hand and made an upward gesture: ”The force was established in 1829, in 1833 specific patrol routes, record books, and assessment systems were stipulated. In 1834, the detective department was given legal status, police training subjects were specified, and for the first time, formal cross-district cooperation was allowed.”

Victoria nodded lightly: ”Hmm... so the foundation was laid.”

”Completely correct.” Arthur showed a look of approval: ”The previous acts were to enable the police to walk, while the new act is to prevent them from being interrupted by having a leg broken when they need to run.”

Victoria asked blankly: ”Specifically? What is the core of the new act?”

”The new act actually has two plans, one more radical, the other more conservative.” Arthur placed the documents on the table but did not push them over: ”Or to use a more dignified saying favored by politicians, one is a gradual version and the other is a leap-forward development.”

Victoria lightly hummed, indicating for him to continue.

”The first one is the version most easily accepted by the two parties in Parliament.” Arthur leaned forward slightly: ”Expand the police training school, allowing patrol officers to receive more standardized training. Increase the staffing of the detective department, while ensuring it remains under the main framework of Scotland Yard to avoid causing political panic about the establishment of a national secret police system. With limited fiscal expansion, a 5% annual increase in the police budget, ensuring basic equipment, patrol officer housing, and salary adjustments, formally establishing a death benefit system, jointly borne by the London City Government, charitable foundations, and the Home Office.”

Here, Arthur deliberately paused: ”Its advantage is that it is stable, it won’t cause much controversy, it won’t alert radicals, and it definitely won’t anger the misers at the Treasury.”

”And the disadvantages?” Victoria asked.

Arthur shrugged slightly: ”The disadvantage, naturally, is also the same; the reform is mild, although the lives of police officers have improved somewhat, it is merely some improvement.”

”What about the radical version? Is there much opposition to it?”

Arthur nodded: ”Sheriffs, County Captains, local councils nationwide... could all potentially jump up in opposition.”

Victoria’s eyebrows furrowed slightly: ”Since there’s so much opposition, what value does this radical version have?”

”Value?” Arthur seemed to have anticipated her question, and smiled faintly: ”Your Majesty, its value lies in the fact that the police department can no longer be constrained by other departments in many ways, further clarifying the rights and responsibilities of the police. Therefore, from now on, tragedies like the Cold Bath incident will be hard to occur.”

Victoria lightly pursed her lips: ”Are you saying that the current law gives too little power to the police?”

”Too little, and too scattered,” Arthur explained: ”For example, the most easily attacked clause in the radical version—expanding the legal jurisdiction of Scotland Yard, upgrading the detective department from a temporary agency to a national cooperation mechanism. I am sure that by then, this clause will be the most harshly criticized by parliamentarians, but if it can be implemented, the ones who will truly benefit are those patrolmen chasing criminals in small alleys and the frightened citizens.”

Victoria still didn’t understand the connection between the two: ”How so?”

”Let me give an example.” Arthur explained: ”A murderer from the East District escapes to Surrey. Scotland Yard wants to implement a cross-jurisdiction arrest, but the sheriff of Surrey states, ’This is not within your jurisdiction.’

Victoria’s eyes instantly widened: ”Then what?!”

”Then what?” Arthur smiled bitterly: ”Then the killer just gets away, because the law doesn’t allow us to pursue him.”

”That’s simply absurd!” Victoria blurted out.

Arthur saw that Victoria was genuinely furious and quickly seized the opportunity: ”Your Majesty, what’s absurd is more than just this one thing.”

Victoria covered her chest, angrily: ”What else?”

”For instance... London traffic.”

Victoria initially thought he was going to talk about muddy roads and narrow pathways, but Arthur’s appetite was not large enough to dare to compete with the city council for urban planning projects. He had his sights on another project that would help expand intelligence sources.

”Your Majesty, you may know, Scotland Yard is wholly responsible for London’s traffic, but we have no actual power.”

”How could there be no power?” Victoria asked incredulously: ”Isn’t London’s traffic managed by the police?”

Arthur laughed bitterly: ”Everyone thinks so. But the truth is... we can’t even punish a cab driver for obstructing traffic.”

Victoria’s eyes widened in shock: ”Why?”

”Because currently all the cabs in London are managed by the Hackney Carriage Office, which is a completely parallel institution to Scotland Yard, supervised by magistrates, with personnel appointed by the London City Government, and run by a group of clerks who know nothing about traffic.”