The Shadow of Great Britain

Victoria frowned: ”So what do they do?”

”Register carriages, issue licenses, collect fees.”

”Then... what about traffic management?”

”Never.”

Arthur paused: ”Every time we encounter reckless carriage drivers, purposefully cutting lanes... the only thing our patrolmen can do is shout ’slow down!’ before the carriage hits someone.”

Victoria was stunned: ”And then?”

”And then?”

Arthur shrugged: ”Most of the time, the drivers will just say, ’Oh, I’ll be careful next time.’”

Victoria’s face turned pale: ”They aren’t penalized? Their licenses aren’t revoked?”

”Your Majesty, the cab registration office under the city government won’t offend the carriage industry,” Arthur smiled, ”because the carriage industry is one of the top taxpayers in London City.”

What Arthur said was not untrue, but it wasn’t the whole truth.

Because while the police don’t have the power to revoke a cab driver’s license, they do have the authority to periodically close roads, thereby controlling traffic flow at busy junctions to reduce accidents.

However, traffic police unable to revoke licenses are ultimately incomplete.

Moreover, if Scotland Yard could control the issuance of cab licenses, it would effectively have control over all carriage businesses within London City.

If you ask which group in the world has the most information, in the 21st century it’s surely taxi drivers, but in the 19th century, it was cab drivers.

With the help of the carriage industry, the Police Intelligence Department’s work would undoubtedly reach new heights.

As for the earlier cross-district enforcement authority, aside from aiding Scotland Yard in apprehending fugitive criminals, it also facilitated Sir Arthur as the Secretary-General of the Police Commissioner Committee in extending his reach.

It’s well known that although the Police Commissioner Committee ostensibly supervises nationwide police work, Sir Arthur can practically only flaunt his might within London. Due to the independent funding from local treasuries, the recently established police stations in various autonomous municipalities generally remain in a state of heedless compliance.

If Scotland Yard could capture across districts, then the Police Commissioner Committee could intervene in local law enforcement via Scotland Yard, exercising some degree of jurisdiction.

The best scenario would be for the Treasury and Home Office to accept Arthur’s suggestion and pass the ”Local Grant Regulations” in the new legislation, stipulating that municipal police forces would receive a quarter of their annual budgets as central subsidies from the Home Office if they meet the training and discipline standards set by the Police Commissioner Committee.

Since ancient times, money talks; no one refuses free money.

Of course, the premise is to let them know money isn’t given for free, financial authority must be exchanged for jurisdictional authority.

As for these little thoughts of his, Arthur naturally had another explanation before Victoria.

Arthur sighed softly: ”Your Majesty, this new Police Bill contains one provision that’s the hardest to get the Cabinet to approve and hardest for local governments to accept.”

Victoria picked up the document, studying it closely: ”I know the difficulty, but I’m not quite sure of its significance.”

Arthur looked at her, solemnly saying: ”Your Majesty, you may not understand the other articles, but for your sake, you must understand this one today.”

Originally, Victoria was indifferent toward this article, but hearing Arthur’s words, she couldn’t help but pay more attention.

After all, she knew if Britain’s most knightly Knight said so, there must be good reason for it.

”Your Majesty, the budget for local police forces almost entirely comes from City Hall, from local tycoons, from local councilors. In other words, they obey those who pay them, not the central government, and certainly not you. In Manchester, textile mill owners can decide which street the patrolman monitors. In Leeds, a single word from a local councilor can shift the police’s focus from theft to strikes. And in Liverpool... without central government intervention, the city is virtually ruled by trade companies.”

”Are you saying they should be accountable to the central government?”

”Not just accountable to the central government,” Arthur emphatically stated, ”but to be accountable to you. Every police officer swears loyalty to you upon joining, they are not civil servants of White Hall, we only serve the Royal Family.”

Upon hearing this, Victoria sat up straighter reflexively.

Arthur then switched to a gentler tone: ”Besides, Your Majesty... I know many don’t want to admit it, but it’s the truth. The places that usually need police the most are often the ones least able to afford them. Whether it’s Manchester’s slums, Leeds’s factory districts, or Newcastle’s docks, the people there face the threat of crime daily. But their city’s annual public security budget is less than one-tenth of London’s. If left to local autonomy, the wealthiest areas would naturally boast the strongest police force, while the poorest, most dangerous, and most needy areas would have no choice but to entrust their security to God.”

Arthur stared into her eyes: ”But you can change that.”

Victoria took a gentle breath: ”I... can change it?”

”You can,” Arthur affirmed: ”If the central government is willing to provide subsidies, those cities will have ample police force, complete equipment, good training, and will create hundreds of jobs. Autonomous municipalities hesitating to establish police departments may do so because central funding partially covers costs, prompting them to set up their own police forces. Most importantly, this will show local citizens that you haven’t forgotten them, Britain hasn’t forgotten them. And the whole nation will understand that you made every street in Britain safer.”