Some 45 serving Police Scotland officers are currently suspended over allegations of violence against women and girls, the force has confirmed.
In an interview with the BBC, chief constable Jo Farrell said the officers are currently being investigated over alleged offences and that she is expecting to see more officers face sanctions.
She also said 8,000 officers are still to be revetted for their roles following a change in regulations introduced earlier this year.
Ms Farrell told the broadcaster: “We’ve got in the order of between 40 and 50 people currently suspended, so not at work, who are being investigated for offences that relate to violence against women and girls.
“Those investigations are at various stages.”
She added: “My focus is on identifying where there is wrongdoing, criminality, particularly in relation to violence against women and girls, and if that has been committed by our officers and our staff, that we identify it and we ensure that those people feel the full force of the law.”
The news comes in a year that has seen a number of high-profile cases of police officers being charged or convicted in relation to sexual assaults.
Alan Greer, a long-serving police officer, took his own life aged 47 in May this year after being arrested in connection with allegations he raped a woman in her home in 2012.
He is now being investigated over violent sex offences and attempted murder against multiple women.
In September, retired officer Campbell Petrie was convicted of nine charges, including two of rape, committed over a 17-year period while he was a serving officer.
A third officer, Cameron Ross, was jailed for 10 years in July after being found guilty of raping two women and abusing a third in the Highlands and Western Isles.
Craig Naylor, chief inspector at HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, said it is “absolutely abhorrent” that some officers abuse their power and break the law.
“We put trust and faith in police officers to uphold the law to keep us safe,” he said.
“And when a police officer is alleged to have broken that law and broken that trust, then there’s got to be a really effective investigation.
“The people (Police Scotland) put in to investigate police officers are skilled, they’re experienced, and they are expected to do a thorough and rigorous investigation, and to root out those who are a danger to the public or to their colleagues.”
He also said victims are at the “heart” of any investigation into wrongdoing by officers, and that the “main focus” has to be on supporting and encouraging them to come forward.
He added: “I joined policing to make society better for everyone within it and I find it absolutely abhorrent when I hear of a police officer breaking the law and of abusing their position of power, which is what they have within the community.
“So, I want them rooted out. I want them kicked out of the organisation. And, if it’s appropriate, for them to face the full might of the law and to serve time in prison, if that’s an appropriate outcome.”
