When the BBC revealed the story last month, Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff was asked if there had been any opportunities to stop Greer’s offending earlier.
She said: “At this point, and we will keep it under review, there is nothing to suggest that there have been any missed opportunities over the years.”
When pressed if there were no missed red flags, she said “At this stage, we’ve got no evidence to suggest that is the case…”
Asked if there were any vetting issues in relation to Greer, ACC Ratcliff said the vetting landscape is “markedly different” today, that Greer would not have passed current vetting checks, but she did not offer further details.
The assistant chief constable added that officers were now subject to annual integrity testing and routine re-vetting.
A BBC Disclosure investigation can now reveal:
-
Greer was investigated in 2002 by Strathclyde police for making inappropriate phone calls to a woman in Glasgow. The case was reported to the procurator fiscal but no action was taken
-
The Metropolitan Police issued Greer with a formal police caution in 2005 after he was again caught making inappropriate phone calls, this time to a woman he knew in London
-
Four years later in 2009, Strathclyde Police accepted Greer into the force despite being aware of at least the formal police caution issued by the Metropolitan Police
Police Scotland has now confirmed that Strathclyde’s vetting unit in 2009 was aware of Greer’s 2005 police caution when he was applying for the job.
A partial paper vetting record exists for Greer and the caution is referenced.
The force said it was unclear whether the 2002 offence formed part of the interview process, or was known by vetting staff.
Sources say this 2002 “adverse trace” would “absolutely” have been discoverable on Greer’s record.
A Strathclyde Police Standard Operating Procedures handbook for 2006 states: “The force should not recruit people with cautions or convictions, which may call into question the integrity of the applicant or the force.”
A police source told the BBC: “Two reported crimes related to women before he joined should have been raising all sorts of alarm bells.
“He was clearly a menace from the off and should never have been allowed near a uniform to abuse his position.”
