Observers say solutions include hiring more women, transferring more oversight to an independent agency and reallocating money to community-based services.

CBCs research found more than one-third of the allegations leading to officer suspensions since 2013 involved gender-based violence including sexual assault, domestic violence or sexual harassment. Women officers who are also survivors of abuse say the policing system is unsupportive and rife with professional conflict.

Police suspensions across Ontario have cost taxpayers approximately $134 million over the past 11 years, according to an exclusive database compiled by CBC News that surveyed reports about hundreds of officers who were sent home with pay after being accused of misconduct or breaking the law.