SYDNEY, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The police commissioner in Australia's second-most populous state has resigned following a vote of no confidence by officers.

Shane Patton on Sunday night said he would immediately stand down as the chief commissioner of Victoria Police "to allow fresh leadership in the role."

It comes after members of the police officers' union on Friday overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in Patton's leadership.

Over 87 percent of the more than 12,000 officers surveyed by The Police Association of Victoria (TPAV) said they were not confident in Patton's ability to lead and manage Victoria Police in the future amid a long-running pay dispute with the state government.

Speaking at a late-night press conference with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, Patton said he had made the decision to resign "with a heavy heart."

"To have been given the opportunity to lead a police organization such as Victoria Police is an absolute privilege and one very few people have. I was fortunate to have done so and for that I am very thankful," he said.

Patton's first five-year term as head of the force was due to end in June.

Allan, who was expected to announce a decision on a second term for Patton on Monday, thanked him for his work since joining Victoria Police as a cadet in 1978 and singled out his leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic for praise.

The state government and Victoria Police have been engaged in a pay dispute for over 18 months.

The force in January said it had accepted a wage proposal that would secure frontline officers a 5-percent annual pay rise for four years and 4.5 percent increases for other members.

The deal will be taken to an official union member vote before being finalized. Enditem

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