A former soldier, Charles Warren became Metropolitan Police Commissioner in 1886, a firm hand to guide a troubled force. His reputation would be severely harmed by both his involvement in banning meetings in Trafalgar Square in an attempt to stop Socialism (there was police brutality), and the failure of his police to stop Jack the Ripper, who was active in 1888. Warren resigned during the murders, but not because of them, and returned to the military, managing to destroy his reputation in the 2nd Boer War via a massacre of British troops at Spion Kop.

He died in 1927.