Tobias Gregson - "is the smartest of the Scotland Yarders"

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Inspector Tobias Gregson is a fictional character that has made appearances in short stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. His first appearance is made in 'A Study in Scarlet' in which he calls upon the services of Holmes to solve a murder case. He requests Holmes to join in the investigation in these words:



“MY DEAR MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES:

“There has been a bad business during the night at 3, Lauriston
Gardens, off the Brixton Road. Our man on the beat saw a light
there about two in the morning, and as the house was an empty
one, suspected that something was amiss. He found the door open,
and in the front room, which is bare of furniture, discovered the
body of a gentleman, well dressed, and having cards in his pocket
bearing the name of ‘Enoch J. Drebber, Cleveland, Ohio, U. S. A.’
There had been no robbery, nor is there any evidence as to how the
man met his death. There are marks of blood in the room, but there
is no wound upon his person. We are at a loss as to how he came
into the empty house; indeed, the whole affair is a puzzler. If you
can come round to the house any time before twelve, you will find
me there. I have left everything in statu quo until I hear from you.
If you are unable to come, I shall give you fuller details, and
would esteem it a great kindness if you would favour me with your
opinions.

“Yours faithfully,

“TOBIAS GREGSON.”



It is after Dr. Watson reads this letter to Holmes that the later mentions how he sees Gregson as a detective and also mentions the ongoing rivalry between Inspector Lestrade and Inspector Tobias Gregson. In his own words, "Gregson is the smartest of the Scotland Yarders,","he and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot. They are both quick and energetic, but conventional–shockingly so. They have their knives into
one another, too. They are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties."

As Holmes had recognized, Gregson was the one Scotland Yard officer who was closer to Holmes' ways of finding evidence, however, Gregson was forced to follow the law which was his big limitation. Inspector Gregson apparently doesn't adhere to the law as closely as Inspector Lestrade does, that is why he overlooks Holmes' illegal act of breaking in a house by smashing a window in 'The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter'.
Gregson also featured in 'The Adventure of the Wistaria Lodge' and 'The Adventure of the Red Circle' and in the later he impresses both Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes with his energy and courage as Dr. Watson remarks,

"Our official detectives may blunder in the matter of intelligence, but never in that of courage. Gregson climbed the stair to arrest this desperate murderer with the same absolutely quiet and businesslike bearing with which he would have ascended the official staircase of Scotland Yard. The Pinkerton man had tried to push past him, but Gregson had firmly elbowed him back. London dangers were the privilege of the London force."

Some also believe that the inclination shown by Doyle to appreciate official forces in his later writings shows a change of his attitude about the police. The above passage clearly shows a change of opinion by Doyle about the official force.