Police officers stand on guard next to a woman wearing a burqa
Police officers stand on guard next to a woman wearing a burqa near the venue where controversial Dutch member of parliament Geert Wilders will speak in the Sydney suburb of Liverpool February 22, 2013. Security at the function centre was tight for Wilders, who speaks against the spread of Islam across the world. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz

Victoria Police are going to be reviewed for predatory behaviour and sexual harassment in the force. Chief Commissioner Ken Lay confirmed that there would be a review regarding the issue.

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is going to conduct the review, which would look at sex discrimination, predatory behaviour and sexual harassment in the force. The commission will also develop a task force which will investigate complaints. The review is going to start in the early part of 2015. Lay said that he would expect "frank and fearless" advice from the commission. ABC News reported that the investigation was a result of the "reprehensible" behaviour of some of the members in the organisation.

According to the Chief Commissioner, the "shameless conduct by some of our people" has caused a number of investigations at present. He said that the behaviour of some men in the organisation towards women was "reprehensible." Lay said that some men in the organisation thought it was "okay to sexually harass, intimidate and degrade women." Their behaviour is unacceptable and it has no connection with the duty of upholding the right that the officers are sworn to carry out, he said.

The Chief Commissioner, on the other hand, said that such problem in the force was "not widespread" even though it was happening inside the organisation. Lay emphasised that women serving Victoria Police must be allowed to work "without fear of intimidation, of being jeered, groped or verbally abused" by their fellow male officers. The Australian reported that the task force called "Invenio" was supposed to investigate complaints. Lay said that he had commissioned the task force so that he could get a precise idea regarding the on-going situation. The commission is also going to propose how "we can make everyone safer".

The Chief Commissioner gave a few examples of the kind of sexual abuse some men in the force would get engaged in. "This review will help us ensure that Victoria Police is a safe place to work, an organisation where everyone, men and women, can go to work without fear of intimidation or being jeered, groped or verbally abuse," he said.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au