Six police members accused of brutality will not be immediately stood down: Victoria Police

The six Victoria Police officers caught on camera punching, beating and dousing a disability pensioner in capsicum spray will not be immediately stood down.

A joint Fairfax Media and ABC investigation revealed CCTV footage of pensioner John being pinned down by several police officers and beaten with a baton and hosed with water in his Melbourne front yard.

Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius, acting head of Victoria Police's Professional Standards Command, said Victoria Police had no tolerance for poor behaviour.

''The claims will be investigated thoroughly and with integrity,'' he told reporters on Tuesday morning. ''We will of course examine any new evidence contained in today's reports. If matters need to be revisited, that will occur.''

The incident was caught on CCTV and the footage shows six officers took part before the man was sprayed with water from a high-pressure garden hose.

However, Mr Cornelius said the police members accused of brutality would not be stood down. ''It is not our practice to stand members down upon receipt of complaint,'' he said. ''It is too early, at this stage, to form a view about whether members should be stood down.''

Instead, police would rely on recommendations for action from the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).

"Our officers make mistakes like anyone else and when that happens we seek to learn from them,'' Mr Cornelius said. ''When those mistakes are not mere mistakes, but are the result of intentional conduct, then of course we seek to hold those officers to account.

''The key to the learning process is the important role that IBAC plays and we welcome oversight provided by IBAC. We want to be challenged, and we want to be held to account. And when police cross that line, we want them to face the consequences for their actions, and that is happening.''

In the year to July 2017, more than 80 police employees were charged with criminal matters.

Police had gone to John's home in Preston last September after his psychologist called triple zero to say she was worried about his deteriorating mental health.

During the incident, an officer can be heard saying: "F---ing idiot, do you like that? Do you like that? Smells good, doesn't it?"

John responds, "Oh my back, my back."

An officer films him being sprayed with the hose and John can be heard in the footage saying: "You happy?... how tough are youse ?"

John had not committed a crime and has not been charged.

A statement by Victoria Police says it has no tolerance for poor behaviour within its ranks and will examine any new evidence carefully.

"We want people to have absolute confidence that when they make a complaint against police, it will be investigated thoroughly and with integrity," the force said.

Mr Cornelius stepped into the role of Professional Standards Command boss after the unit's previous boss, Brett Guerin, quit the force in the wake of revelations by The Age that he was using an alias to post racist and repulsive comments on social media, including encouraging violence against Africans.