The TAC has historically provided Victoria Police about $4 million each year, some of which went to breath-testing.

Victoria Police will conduct its largest workplace guidance process ever following the discovery.

Professional Standards Command Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett said the organisation would speak to every member of the force about the falsifications.

Assistant Commissioner Barrett said actual tests of motorists were not faked, but rather, officers had falsified data.

He said the investigation was ongoing, but it would look at any aggravating factors involved in the faking of tests and would subsequently look at punishments for those involved.

Former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie will lead the investigation.

Assistant Commissioner Barrett declined to comment on precisely where officers had falsified tests, but said it was widespread and varied year on year.

He said the investigation would look at the systems and processes that allowed the behaviour to occur.

Assistant Commissioner Barrett admitted Victoria Police’s reputation had been tarnished, and said it was a disappointing day for those officers

He said there was no financial incentive for members to fake tests, but “as best as I can see, it’s a productivity gain”.

There had been no fraud conducted in Victoria Police’s view, he said.

Assistant Commissioner Barrett said Victoria Police as an organisation did not set quotas, but at the local level, there could be goals set.

EARLIER: Victoria Police has revealed some of its officers have been faking preliminary breath tests, with rural areas over-represented.

Victoria Police did not provide exact areas where the bogus tests were made, but 258,463 had been recorded statewide.

Claims of the practice, whereby an officer either places a finger over the straw entry hole or blows into the straw themselves, were first reported to Victoria Police late last year.

Professional Standards Command Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett said what has followed has been a very complex and protracted intelligence assessment and investigation.

He said the investigation analysed five years worth of data, 1500 devices and more than 17.7 million tests.

“This conduct will not be tolerated, any member found engaging in this practice from today has been put on notice they will be investigated,” Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.

Victoria Police is in the process of appointing an external investigator, with contemporary knowledge of the group’s practices and operating frameworks.

“The investigation will examine how this behaviour was allowed to occur and what we can do to enhance and improve our operational practice into the future,” Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.

“The question we all asked was why? There could be a number of reasons but the main rationale I believe is to hide or highlight productivity. Whatever reason our workforce may come up with, it isn’t acceptable.

“As disappointing as this is, it should be noted that, at this stage in the investigation, there is no evidence to suggest fraud or any criminality has occurred. Similarly, there is nothing to suggest that any of this activity has impacted on any prosecutions.”

It is believed the self-testing activity has been largely undertaken by general duties and highway patrol members, with some rural areas over represented. It is not a practice found to be performed at supervised drug and alcohol bus testing sites.

“In moving forward we are looking into a number of options for improving and increasing our internal controls and accountability in regard to our testing regime,” Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.

“We are considering the feasibility of regular audits, the ability for the PBT to include the detail of the operator and quality assurance measures.”

Victoria Police is in discussions with IBAC about the matter.