Commissioner Seymour established the detective force in 1864, one of the many reforms he undertook in his thirty-one years as Commissioner. He travelled extensively to the far reaches of the state and brought the concerns of his men to the Government. In 1880 he showed his faith in the skills of the native police by sending indigenous trackers to Victoria to participate in the location of the Kelly gang. On retiring in 1895, Commissioner Seymour had increased police numbers from 275 to 907.