Police sacked over email scandal

Four officers have been sacked, two demoted and another four fined after two days of disciplinary hearings over the circulation of pornographic and racist emails within Victoria Police.

The force says the sacked officers are a sergeant, two leading senior constables and one senior constable.

One officer was demoted from leading senior constable to senior constable, a senior constable was demoted to constable and ineligible for promotion for two years and four other senior constables were fined up to $3000 each and placed on 12-month behaviour bonds.

Two officers quit rather than face the secret hearing this week.

The dismissals are part of Operation Barrot set up in June to investigate a series of emails which had been circulated on the Victoria Police system prior to December last year.

Police said the emails contained highly offensive material, including sexual, violent, homophobic and racist content.

The officers involved are based in suburban, regional and metropolitan police stations.

Chief Police Commissioner Simon Overland on Wednesday said that more than 30 officers, including a superintendent, had been caught up in the circulation of the material.

On Thursday, police said investigations were continuing.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies told AAP the actions should be looked at in perspective.

"It involves around 25 officers in a workforce of 11,500 - it's not a statewide epidemic as alleged by some of the media," he said.

Mr Davies said the association would provide assistance for the officers if they wanted to appeal the decisions.

A police spokeswoman said the community had high expectations of its police and the Victorian force had no choice but to take action.

She said Victoria Police had put welfare measures in place to ensure that the dismissed and affected members and their families were well supported.

In March, Healesville Sergeant Tony Vangorp resigned and took his own life after being involved in the investigation.