Chief Commissioner Ken Lay announces review of harassment in Victorian police force

Some male members of Victoria Police act in a "reprehensible" way towards women in the force, and the state's top cop wants to stamp it out.

Chief Commissioner Ken Lay has announced a review of sexual harassment, predatory behaviour and sex discrimination within Victoria Police.

It will be overseen by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC), and will start in early 2015.

"There are some men in this organisation whose behaviour towards women is reprehensible," Mr Lay said in a statement today.

"It is based on a sense of entitlement by some men, who think it's okay to sexually harass, intimidate, and degrade women."

He said the force had a number of active internal investigations into conduct by male police officers, and the problem was "not widespread" but it was occurring.

Women in Victoria Police should be able to work "without fear of intimidation, of being jeered, groped or verbally abused" by male officers, Mr Lay said.

"This behaviour is simply unacceptable, and has no relationship to our sworn duty to uphold the right."

A new Victoria Police taskforce, called Invenio, has also been set up to investigate these complaints and collect intelligence to inform VEOHRC's review.