Police: Independent review will be carried out into 'harrowing' Alan Greer case
Greer took his own life in May while under investigation for a string of violent sex attacks
An external review will be carried out into the circumstances surrounding the “harrowing” Alan Greer case, Police Scotland has said.
Greer, a long-serving police officer, took his own life in May while under investigation for a string of violent sex attacks over a 14-year period.
The probe into his crimes is thought to be the largest ever carried out by Police Scotland’s anti-corruption unit.
Speaking at a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) on Thursday, Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said he understood the case would have a negative effect on public trust.
He said police vetting is now much better than it was in the past, with a “much sharper focus” on violence against women and girls.
The vetting team has “probably doubled in size”, he said, as well as being provided with “massively enhanced” training.
“The level of scrutiny that we will apply to new recruits coming in to the organisation is more significant than it’s ever been, and that can only be a good thing,” he said.
Mr Speirs said a criminal investigation is ongoing, as is a probe by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner into the circumstances surrounding Greer’s death.
He said a team from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) will also carry out an “independent review” of the case at a later date.
“I have engaged with Chris Todd as the Chief Constable who leads on professionalism as a portfolio on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and we have reached an agreement that at a key point in time, when the investigation nears a conclusion, he will come in and do an independent review of the circumstances primarily as they relate to Alan Greer and his offending behaviour over a number of years,” Mr Speirs said.
“Notwithstanding that, you’ll understand that we’re looking closely at the circumstances internally, but I think it’s right and proper that at a point in time he will come in and bring a team in to have a closer look at the circumstances.”
He said more information on timescales will be available in due course.
The NPCC is a national coordinating body for UK police forces, while Mr Todd is currently the Chief Constable of Humberside Police.
Greer was arrested on April 24 this year after a woman came forward to say she was raped in her home in Glasgow in 2012.
She had called police to report being the victim of a crime.
The matter triggered an investigation by the police anti-corruption unit, leading to Greer’s arrest and suspension from duty.
The 47-year-old was released without charge pending further investigation, and was found dead on May 6.
The scale of his offending became clear when officers recovered thousands of graphic images and videos on his phones.
He attacked at least nine women over 14 years, five of whom were sex workers.
The case has been compared to that of Wayne Couzens, the former Metropolitan Police officer imprisoned for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
“The offending is harrowing, and first and foremost I want to recognise the impact on women over a significant period of time,” Mr Speirs told the SPA meeting.
He said the details had also been a “distressing shock” for Greer’s family and colleagues.
Asked by board member Katharina Kasper how trust can be restored, Mr Speirs stressed the need for public engagement, and to demonstrate all perpetrators will be brought to justice.
“We moved forward in the Alan Greer case with urgency and with pace to make an arrest, to suspend him from duty, and we would take no different (action) in those circumstances,” he said.
“We need to work hard with with victims, with women and girls groups, to give them the assurance that they will be listened to and they will be supported.
“But we are utterly committed in this space. I think we’ve been very public and very vocal around the circumstances as we can articulate them in relation to our Alan Greer.”
Deputy Chief Constable Bex Smith echoed this, telling the meeting: “We absolutely do not underestimate the impact of something like this.
“We see it across the UK. It’s no different in Scotland. I completely understand your question around it.”
She added that she is “genuinely proud” of the way the force deals with violence against women and girls, but that it still has work to do.
“We know that this is a huge societal issue. It’s not something that is a sole policing issue, and we need to make sure we are working as a whole system and the infrastructure is correct to be able to support victims.”
The meeting also heard police had faced “unprecedented levels of demand” over the weekend, with officers grappling with an anti-immigration protest and the Cairngorms wildfire, alongside the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Mr Speirs said officers were also deployed at two football matches as well as carrying out two “complex” murder investigations, and thanked them for their “significant efforts”.
“During the weekend just passed we experienced unprecedented demand on policing across Scotland,” he said.
“This included a significant protest in Glasgow, a multi-agency response to a major incident in Cairngorms, two high-profile football matches, as well as two complex murder inquiries.
“At a time when Scotland is under the spotlight of the Commonwealth Games, officers continue to stand up really well under huge pressure.”
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