Assistant Commissioner
In 1884, Monro resigned from the Indian Civil Service and returned to Britain, being appointed the first Assistant Commissioner (Crime) in London. He succeeded Howard Vincent, whose title had been Director of Criminal Investigation, as head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Vincent had answered directly to the Home Secretary and not to the Commissioner, and thus had had the status, but not the title, of Assistant Commissioner. Monro, however, did answer to the Commissioner.
Monro's immediate problem on his appointment was the Fenian bombing campaign. He managed to bring it under control by 1887. He forged a close alliance with Robert Anderson, the Home Office adviser who controlled the spies infiltrating the Fenians. The two men shared religious beliefs, with both being Protestant Millenariarists. Their greatest achievement was in 1887, when they foiled an attempted bombing of Westminster Abbey during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Monro politicked behind the scenes to assert his primacy over the Home Office in the secret world of spying against the Fenians. Eventually, he was successful and Special Branch, under his control, became the sole force in charge of covert security in the United Kingdom. He even retained personal control over it when he became Commissioner.
In 1886, Sir Charles Warren became Commissioner. He and Monro never saw eye-to-eye. Monro had been widely tipped to succeed as Commissioner, and was disappointed not to do so. Warren also tried to assert his authority over CID, which his predecessor, Sir Edmund Henderson, had left almost entirely in Monro's hands. Warren was not particularly interested in detective work, but unlike Henderson he did not like Monro working directly for the Home Secretary without his approval. In 1888, the last straw came when Warren vetoed Monro's choice of Melville Macnaghten as first Chief Constable (CID). Both Monro and Warren threatened to resign. Home Secretary Henry Matthews accepted Monro's resignation in September and replaced him with Anderson. However, he retained Monro as head of Special Branch (which was outside the Commissioner's control) and gave him the title of Head of Detectives, with an office in the Home Office. Anderson and his senior CID officers continued to consult with him behind Warren's back, particularly during the Jack the Ripper case, with Matthews's complete connivance. Monro refused to accept a salary.
Monro was appointed a Companion of the Bath (CB) in June 1888.
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