A police officer who was later convicted of serious offenses, including rape, was hired despite prior investigations into his conduct and a formal police caution, a BBC investigation has revealed.
Alan Greer was investigated by Strathclyde Police in 2002 for making inappropriate phone calls to a woman. The case was reported to the procurator fiscal but no action was taken. In 2005, the Metropolitan Police issued Greer with a formal police caution for making similar inappropriate calls to a woman he knew in London.
Despite this caution, Strathclyde Police accepted Greer into the force in 2009. Police Scotland has confirmed that its vetting unit was aware of the 2005 caution when Greer applied for the position, and it was referenced in his partial vetting record. It remains unclear whether the 2002 incident was known to vetting staff during the hiring process.
Sources indicate that the 2002 adverse information would have been discoverable on Greer's record at the time. A 2006 Strathclyde Police handbook stipulated that individuals with cautions or convictions that could question an applicant's integrity should not be recruited.
According to a police source speaking to the BBC, the two reported incidents involving women prior to Greer joining the force should have raised significant concerns, and he should not have been allowed to serve and potentially abuse his position.
Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff, speaking to the BBC last month, stated that there was nothing at that time to suggest any missed opportunities to stop Greer's offending earlier, nor any evidence of missed red flags. She did note that the vetting landscape has changed significantly since Greer's hiring and that he would not pass current vetting checks. Officers are now subject to annual integrity testing and routine re-vetting.