The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into Pc Fisher and Sgt Tippetts in July last year following a referral from Wiltshire Police.
The force had reviewed its systems after Carrick’s conviction and found a report from 2016 that appeared not to have been investigated appropriately.
The report revealed how a woman called the force in January 2016 to report that Carrick had abused another female.
She explained she wanted Carrick, who was a serving Met Police armed officer, to be investigated.
Pc Fisher was assigned to investigate and after speaking to the woman requested the case be closed, with Sgt Tippetts, her supervisor, agreeing.
Neither officer checked police systems nor took further steps to investigate. The female who was identified as being the victim of the abuse was never contacted.
The IOPC said if the officers had searched for Carrick’s name on Wiltshire Police’s crime recording system, they would have found he was under investigation – in an unrelated case – for offences against another woman, which had been reported three days earlier.
Despite being told that Carrick was a serving Met Police officer, Pc Fisher and Sgt Tippetts also failed to notify the Met’s directorate of professional standards.
‘Missed opportunity’
Following a disciplinary hearing, both officers were given a final written warning but were allowed to keep their jobs.
Mel Palmer, IOPC regional director, said: “No one is to blame for David Carrick’s horrific spate of offending but him.
“However, our investigation found there was a missed opportunity by Wiltshire Police officers to investigate him following a report of a serious abuse allegation made years before he was eventually arrested.
“Pc Fisher took minimal investigative action. She didn’t try to contact the victim of the reported crime, flag to the Met a serious allegation against one of its officers, or search David Carrick’s name on Wiltshire Police’s systems.
She added: “Pc Fisher requested the investigation be closed following minimal work or effort, and her supervisor, Sgt Tippetts, agreed and – contrary to the force’s policy – failed to flag any concerns to colleagues in CID who specialise in investigating serious allegations.”
Officers failing ‘in most basic sense’
Craig Dibdin, Wiltshire Police deputy chief constable, said: “This is a clear case of officers failing, in the most basic sense, to properly investigate allegations made to them.
“This failure in service was compounded by a lack of proper oversight and scrutiny by a supervisor.
“Whilst it would be inappropriate to comment on the ongoing IOPC investigation, clearly the public will have questions as to the impact this inaction might have had on Carrick’s vile offending after 2016.
“Our communities must have the trust and confidence in us to listen to them, investigate any allegation made to us without fear or favour and keep them fully updated as to the actions we are undertaking.
“I would like to apologise unreservedly to the person whose report we did not initially investigate as we should.
“We will ensure that, organisationally, we will share all the learning emanating from this case to improve the service we provide.”