Serial rapist police officer passed vetting despite warnings, BBC reveals

A former Scottish police officer exposed as a violent serial rapist was hired by the force despite having two prior reports of criminal behavior against women on his record, a BBC Disclosure investigation has revealed.

Alan Greer was accepted into Strathclyde Police in 2009, even though vetting staff were aware that he had received a formal Metropolitan Police caution in 2005 for making inappropriate phone calls to a woman in London. He had also been investigated by police in Glasgow for a similar incident in 2002. Under Strathclyde Police standard operating procedures established in 2006, the force was advised not to recruit individuals with convictions or cautions that called their integrity into question.

The revelation directly contradicts recent public statements by Police Scotland leadership. Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff had previously asserted there was no evidence of missed opportunities to stop Greer's offending. Following the BBC findings, Police Scotland clarified that its previous comments applied only to Greer’s conduct during his policing career, rather than his pre-employment vetting process.

Greer served as an officer for 17 years before taking his own life in May, days after police raided his home as part of an investigation into offenses dating back to 2012. Investigators have identified 15 victims to date, though officials fear the true number is much higher. His crimes involved serious sexual assaults and attempted murders, including the rape of a vulnerable woman hours after meeting her while on duty. Greer also targeted numerous sex workers and took inappropriate photographs of female colleagues while working as a safety trainer.

Craig Naylor, chief inspector for HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, stated that Greer’s prior history should have barred him from joining the force under 2009 standards. Naylor confirmed that accepting Greer represented a clear missed opportunity to prevent his long-standing abuse of power.

A confidential police briefing document titled Operation Submarine, prepared in June for the Scottish government and the Scottish Police Authority oversight body, outlined Greer’s 2002 and 2005 police records. The document explicitly stated that Greer would not be granted recruitment clearance under modern vetting standards. Despite receiving high-level overviews, members of the oversight board failed to press senior officers on these pre-recruitment warnings during a public meeting in late July. The oversight authority later stated that full details of the briefing had not been shared with all board members prior to the meeting.

Police Scotland announced that the 2009 vetting process will form part of an independent external review conducted by the National Police Chiefs' Council. The force reiterated that its primary focus remains identifying and supporting victims, adding that modern vetting standards now include mandatory annual integrity checks and routine re-vetting for serving personnel.