Queensland police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has publicly apologised for the racist and sexist behaviour of members and said a number of cases will be reviewed.
Hearings of the Commission of Inquiry into the handling of domestic violence complaints has heard detailed allegations of sexism, racism and misogyny within the service.
Flanked by Queensland Police Service (QPS) deputy commissioners, Commissioner Carroll said police leaders had met several times in the wake of the public inquiry.
"There is frustration at not being able to move people from the organisation, particularly some of these people that we have been discussing," she said.
"As a result, I have asked for a number of matters, where I am not satisfied of the outcomes, to be reviewed again.
"We will be doing everything we can through the appropriate legislation to ensure that these people are no longer part of the QPS."
She said she had sought further legal advice about what could be done under existing legislation "to address these matters" and raised the prospect some could be forced out of the service.
"What I believe that a healthy organisation should be able to do is that when you investigate someone, and that person's personal views are no longer aligned with ours, then that person should no longer be a police officer," she said.
"I should be able 'show cause' that officer to really tell me why they should still be in the police.
"At the moment, that is difficult to achieve."
Local managerial resolution process to be reviewed
Last week Commissioner Carroll told the inquiry she "felt constrained" by the local managerial resolution (LMR) process under which Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder was discipled for sexist comments he made at a leadership conference earlier this year.
He was later promoted.
"I would have rather not promoted him," Commissioner Carroll told the inquiry.
Chief Superintendent Rohweder has been on leave after the comments were heard by the inquiry.
Commissioner Carroll said LMR were now "being assessed centrally", and that staff has been "bolstered".
The commissioner said that the LMR system is still good for "minor disputes" but was not fit for the types of issues heard by the commission.
'I apologise to all victims'
She said a streamlined process for dealing with complaints must be established in order to restore public trust in the police service.
"It needs to be an efficient system that the organisation and the public can see that it has been done well, done swiftly," she said.
Commissioner Carroll said QPS had "failed victims".
"I have apologised to the members of our organisation who have been impacted by this behaviour, but again today I say I am truly sorry," she said
"As an organisation we have failed victims and we need to do better."
The commissioner said the inquiry was "an opportunity for improvement".
"It is extremely important our people have the confidence to come forward and report inappropriate behaviour and our members need to know it will be dealt with appropriately," Commissioner Carroll said.
"The disgraceful examples of behaviour we have heard of in recent weeks, cannot and will not continue."
