The arrival of Austrian troops in Bologna only granted the papal government a temporary reprieve from its responsibilities of public security. The European diplomatic community disliked the disruption of the balance of power caused by Austria's new intervention, especially after France retaliated by occupying Ancona in April 1832. Virtually everyone, including Metternich and the new Pope, Gregory XVI, would have preferred an early return to autonomy for the Papal States, although, as it happened, the Austrians would not leave until the end of 1838. In Metternich's mind, both the problem and the solution lay in securing widespread bureaucratic, procedural, and financial reforms capable of placating public sentiment without surrendering any meaningful political power. If the notorious abuse, graft, and corruption of the curia could be replaced by a fair and efficient administration, the principles of absolutism would be justified and further rebellion avoided. Naturally, the police and public force, whose inadequacies had been overly evident throughout the events of 1831, figured heavily in the Austrian agenda for reform. Although not always adhering to Metternich's wishes, the papal regime would reinforce both Bologna's garrison and police at considerable (some would say exorbitant) expense, far surpassing previous investments in the province's security. Yet, despite this obvious effort, the new peacekeeping forces would prove incapable of meeting the regime's obligations of order after the Austrians' departure. Crime rates and popular apprehensions would rise together in the early 1840s, opening the way for another portentous experiment in local policing.